If the Vegas Golden Knights are to bounce back from a rare defeat, they must find a way to win in Pittsburgh.
As they begin a four-game eastern trip, the Golden Knights look for their second all-time road victory against the lowly Penguins on Tuesday night.
Pacific Division-leading Vegas had won seven of eight before falling 6-5 to Los Angeles Sunday at home. Tomas Hertl notched a hat trick for the Golden Knights, who scored at least five goals for the third time in five games.
However, Vegas also yielded at least five goals for the third time in the last six contests.
“I just think for whatever reason, we were not attentive to detail when the puck wasn’t there,” said Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy. “That’s something that I believe will be better (this week). … Just because we’re better than that.
“Hopefully, we take it to heart. It can be a humbling game.”
The Golden Knights certainly have been humbled when they play in Pittsburgh. They’ve been outscored 21-14 while posting a 1-5-0 record. That lone victory came 3-0 in October 2019.
However, Vegas rolled to a 4-0 home victory over Pittsburgh on Friday. Mark Stone had a goal with two assists, Tanner Pearson recorded one of each and Hertl, who has 11 points in the last eight games, added a helper.
Meanwhile, Golden Knights backup Ilya Samsonov made 22 saves against the Penguins — his second shutout of the season — after allowing five goals in each of his previous two starts. On the flip side, teammate Adin Hill stopped 29 of 35 shots Sunday – a rare off-night as he had given up a total of four goals in winning his previous four outings for Vegas.
Destined to miss the playoffs for a third consecutive season, the Penguins are 2-6-2 at home since Jan. 11. Pittsburgh has yielded 43 goals during that stretch, but returns home after salvaging two points on its three-game road trip with Sunday’s 3-1 victory at Minnesota.
Sidney Crosby had two third-period goals and Evgeni Malkin opened the scoring as the Penguins got the best of Wild netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, their former teammate with whom they won three Stanley Cups. Crosby became the fourth player in NHL history to record 17 20-goal seasons with the same franchise.
“You say it every time he hits a milestone,” teammate Bryan Rust said. “It’s his incredible work ethic year in, year out. … Still leading this team, and this league, by example.”
Crosby, with 17 points in his last 14 contests, has five assists, but no goals in those six home games versus Vegas.
Meanwhile, it’s uncertain if Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry will get a second consecutive start after making 29 saves at Minnesota in his first NHL start since Jan. 14. Jarry was placed on waivers the day after that start and eventually assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he played in 12 games before being recalled last week.
Penguins starter Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 23 of 27 shots at Vegas on Friday and has a 4.43 goals-against average and .843 save percentage while going 0-5-0 during his last six starts.
–Field Level Media
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