Vegas Golden Knights put Vancouver Canucks on the brink
By Elias Laradi
The Vegas Golden Knights will have a chance to end the series on Tuesday night after a big win.
The Vegas Golden Knights were looking to put the Vancouver Canucks on the brink of elimination and get one step closer to a Western Conference Final appearance. On a back to back situation, Marc-Andre Fleury got the start in net. There was one change on defense for the Knights, as Jon Merrill replaced Nick Holden in the lineup.
As expected, the first 10 minutes of the match was back and forth, with both teams looking for that crucial first goal of the game. At nine minutes of the first period, Vancouver got the first penalty of the game when they were called for too many men on the ice.
Less than 30 seconds into the Vegas powerplay Max Pacioretty got a great pass from Mark Stone who skated in front of the net and shot it 5 hole on Jacob Markstrom for a 1-0 lead. Vegas got their first penalty when Chandler Stephenson was called for interference.
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It took even less time for the Vancouver Canucks to strike as less than 20 seconds into the man advantage Elias Pettersson got a great cross-ice feed from JT Miller and beat Fleury low glove side to tie the game at one.
Vegas responded two minutes later when the Canucks were in the offensive zone and Ryan Reaves steamrolled Quinn Hughes which led to an odd-man rush for the Golden Knights and Chandler Stephenson did a great give and go and beat Markstrom low glove side for the 2-1 lead.
Canucks head coach was seen on the bench insensed yelling at Ryan Reaves for the hit he made on Hughes. The period would end with the Knights leading going into the second frame.
Less than six minutes into the period the Canucks tied the game at two when Bo Horvat was at the side of the net and got a great pass and managed to get the puck past Fleury. The puck would manage on the play to bounce off the back of Fleury pad and in.
Elias Pettersson thought for sure he had a goal to take the lead but Fleury had other plans as he made an incredible glove save to rob him of a 3-2 lead. Vegas would take another penalty when Chandler Stephenson was sent to the box for hooking.
It didn’t take long for Vancouver to take the lead when Tyler Toffoli took a great pass from Hughes and managed to beat Fleury. Jonathan Marchessault took two back to back penalties to end the period.
The lead didn’t last long as three minutes into the third, Nate Schmidt got a great pass from Jon Merill and blasted a shot from the point that beat Markstrom to make it 3-3. That goal really changed the momentum of the game and five minutes later Max Pacioretty joined the fun doing a great give and go with Nate Schmidt and beat Markstrom when the puck when off his skate and in.
The goals kept coming for the Golden Knights, as a minute later, William Karlsson sitting in front of the net and got the puck from Pacioretty and beat Markstrom to add an insurance goal and all but seal the victory.
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Game 5 goes on Tuesday and the Knights will have a chance to send the Canucks home and book a spot in the Western Final.