3 takeaways from Knights’ win: Rally keeps record perfect
It became clear when Nic Hague and Jamie Benn exchanged haymakers in the neutral zone that the Golden Knights and Dallas Stars weren’t willing to forgive and forget all that transpired between them in the 2023 Western Conference Final.
The two sides had no interest in playing a typical October hockey game, either.
The Knights and Stars gave the announced crowd of 17,612 that showed up to T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday a playoff-style fight as they traded crunching hits, dove in front of shots and scrapped for every loose puck around the crease.
There were long stretches where Dallas looked ready to avenge its six-game loss from last May. The Knights couldn’t let that happen.
Center William Karlsson scored a game-tying goal with 2:59 remaining in regulation, helping his team rally for a 3-2 shootout victory. The win moved the Knights to 4-0. That’s tied for the best start in franchise history, and makes them the first defending Stanley Cup champion since the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings to open with four straight victories.
“I think it just speaks volumes to the group of guys that we got here,” goaltender Adin Hill said. “We didn’t take the start of the season lightly after coming off the win, right? I think we came to camp, got back to business, everyone showed up in good shape. It’s showing.”
Hill called the emotions of last season’s series with Dallas “still fresh” Tuesday.
The action on the ice couldn’t have made that more clear.
The Knights finished with 40 hits, tied for their fifth-most in a game since the start of last season. They fought twice in a game for the first time since doing so against Vancouver on Nov. 26, 2022.
Neither side seemed willing to concede an inch on the ice. That led to a first period that finished 0-0, before things started to pick up in the second.
It began with Hague dropping the gloves with Benn, who was suspended for Game 4 and 5 of the Western Conference Final for a cross-check on Knights captain Mark Stone. Defenseman Ben Hutton did the same with left wing Mason Marchment 12:05 later.
In between the bouts, right wing Craig Smith got his first goal as a Star 5:52 into the second to give Dallas a 1-0 lead. It marked the first time the Knights have trailed in a game this season, but the deficit didn’t last long. Defenseman Kaedan Korczak answered by scoring his first NHL goal with 6:57 left in the frame.
The two teams traded tallies again in the third. Right wing Joe Pavelski gave the Dallas the lead back 2:50 into the period, scoring three seconds after a faceoff win by center Roope Hintz. Karlsson evened the game once more by tipping a shot by Korczak into the net with 2:59 remaining in regulation.
The two teams battled through a goalless overtime period before the shootout decided things. Defenseman Shea Theodore and right wing Jonathan Marchessault scored for the Knights to give them the second point in the standings and keep their record perfect.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak against the Stars in the regular season.
“There’s just some animosity you saw was left over a little bit from last May,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I think we’re going to build some more. Entertaining. It’s actually good each team got a point out of it when you put that much on the table, to be honest with you. We were able to get the extra one.”
Here are three takeaways from the win:
1. Reinforcements arrive
The Knights, for the first time since their opener, were back to full strength up front.
Left wings Brett Howden and William Carrier jumped in the lineup after missing the team’s last two games. Howden was suspended for an “illegal check to the head” on Seattle right wing Brandon Tanev, while Carrier suffered an upper-body injury.
Carrier took his normal spot on the fourth line, while Howden played with Karlsson and right wing Michael Amadio.
The team is still working to get healthy on the blue line. Defenseman Alec Martinez, who hasn’t appeared this season because of an upper-body injury, practiced with the Knights on Tuesday morning in a red no-contract jersey. Coach Bruce Cassidy said Martinez will travel with the team during its two-game road trip to Winnipeg and Chicago, meaning it’s possible the veteran could make his season debut Thursday or Saturday.
2. Korczak’s milestone
A few missing teeth couldn’t disguise the wide smile on Korczak’s face in the second period.
The 22-year-old played his 13th NHL game Tuesday night. On his 19th shot on goal, he got one to go into the net.
Korczak, a 2019 second-round pick, became the second Knights player to get his first NHL goal this season. Defenseman Brayden Pachal accomplished the same milestone two games earlier in the team’s 4-1 victory in San Jose.
Korczak’s assist on Karlsson’s goal gave him his first multipoint night in the NHL as well. To top it all off, he was trusted to play 2:26 in overtime with the Knights searching for the win.
“To get my first one is huge,” Korczak said. “Confidence grows and then you start making plays. I think I got to my game there and then you just have to grow off that.”
3. Goalie duel
Hill, three starts into his regular season, continues to look like the guy the Stars saw in the playoffs.
Hill stopped 24 of the 26 he shots against an opponent that should be one of the Western Conference’s best again this year. The 27-year-old, who had a .939 save percentage in his six starts against Dallas last postseason, has a .951 save percentage to start his second campaign with the Knights.
He did get a little help as well. Left wing Jason Robertson and center Roope Hintz both hit the crossbar on their shootout attempts, with the latter result sealing the Knights’ win.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever won a shootout without making a save,” Hill said. “But I’ll take it.”
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.