The Vegas Golden Knights dropped a 5-2 decision to the New Jersey Devils at T-Mobile Arena on Friday, a loss the team attributed to its own mistakes rather than the opponent's skill. New Jersey's top line, led by Jack Hughes and Arseny Gritsyuk, combined for four goals, with Hughes putting the Devils ahead for good in the second period by sliding the puck between captain Mark Stone's legs.
Vegas actually led 2-1 late in the first period after goals from Stone and Ivan Barbashev, but the game turned on turnovers. William Karlsson gave the puck away near the net on Gritsyuk's first goal, and Stone's miscue in the second period allowed Gritsyuk to score on a rebound for a 4-2 lead. The Knights finished with 15 giveaways compared to New Jersey's eight.
"Not much," Barbashev said when asked what the Knights did effectively. "I think we had to play harder against them. We just gave them too much space, and that's what they did." Defenseman Shea Theodore echoed the sentiment, citing the team's inability to hold onto the puck and a lack of forecheck.
Coach Ryan Craig pointed to the first two goals as direct results of turnovers and said the next two stemmed from poor checking structure and support away from the puck. "I think what we've gotten away from a little bit was that overall team game," Craig said. "The layers, the support, I thought we let some frustration creep into that."
The loss drops the Knights to 9-5-1 on the season and marks their fourth defeat in five games. They will practice Saturday before departing for a difficult four-game road trip that includes back-to-back games in Boston and Pittsburgh, followed by matchups in Detroit and Buffalo.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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