Two goals in less than two minutes sends VGK to second straight loss

For nearly two full periods, it appeared the Vegas Golden Knights had found a way to slow down the high-powered offense of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

That would prove to be untrue after two late regulation goals resulted in a 4-3 VGK loss to Tampa Bay Thursday, Oct. 17 from the Amalie Arena. A different result would’ve handed the Lightning their first loss of the season in another one-goal finish in the all-time series.

Head coach Bruce Cassidy is still a win away from No. 100 as the Golden Knights’ lead man after a second straight loss for his club.

“We just got to check better through the neutral zone to deny rush chances,” Cassidy said. “I think it would be the takeaway from the game. I thought we got better at it, until the last few minutes.”

Vegas is now 3-2-0 in the early going of the season as it still sits behind an undefeated Calgary team.

In the first two weeks of the season, the Golden Knights have played three champions from the previous five seasons. That number will jump to four in a 2023 Stanley Cup rematch against the Florida Panthers Saturday, Oct. 19.

Puck drop is slated for 3 p.m.

“We got to be able to finish games and have killer instincts out there,” defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “We have to get our minds right and turn the page.”

Tampa Bay tied the game with just under two and a half minutes left in regulation. A minute and 27 seconds later, a familiar foe lit the lamp to take the lead.

Forward Nikita Kucherov scored that game-winning goal with 54.8 left in regulation. He also scored near the conclusion of the first period with just over 12 seconds left.

He has now scored in every game so far this season for the Lightning.

“We just let our guard down,” captain Mark Stone said. “Two minutes left, you got to find ways to bear down.”

Following Kucherov’s first goal, VGK goalie Adin Hill held Tampa Bay scoreless for nearly forty minutes. That includes a second period that saw him stuff several shots from point-blank range, even saving two close shots from Kucherov.

“We could’ve denied Kucherov off the puck originally on the rush for the one-on-one,” Cassidy said. “But after that, we had all our guys back […] So we could’ve tried to extend the lead a little better.”

Hill even had to do it while down a man or two as well. Vegas did commit its first penalty of the game until late in the second period on a slashing call against defenseman Zach Whitecloud.

Soon after, the team would get whistled for too many men on the ice. The Knights would go on to kill the penalty situation.

Even with the long scoreless drought plus a five-plus minute stretch without a shot, the Lightning still reached their four goal per game average.

“We can’t just let our guard down,” Stone said. “Especially against a good team like that with all the offensive talent in the world.”

It’s only the second time that Vegas has scored first in a game. McNabb cracked the score column with a first period unassisted goal, the team’s first of the season.

Left-winger Pavel Dorofeyev made the transition into the top line and scored just after the team’s first power play opportunity of the night.

The changes were made to the top line after right-wing Victor Olofsson missed the contest due to injury. He was injured after a late collision in the team’s loss Tuesday night to Washington.

After going 0-for-3 on the power play against Tampa Bay, Vegas has now converted on just two of its last 13 power play chances. Overall, the team is now 4-for-16 on the power play this season.

Center Ivan Barbashev scored the only other VGK goal on the night. It came off an assist from defenseman Shea Theodore, one of four assists from the top line.

Fellow center Jack Eichel added two more and Stone chipped in with another. Through five games this season, the top line has 38 total points including 28 assists.

“That’s our veteran group,” Cassidy said. “They’re the guys that we’re relying on.”