Vegas drops first of a six-game homestand on Nevada Day, loses for just second time in regulation.
LAS VEGAS -- Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy wasn't looking for excuses Monday afternoon, after Vegas opened a six-game homestand with a 4-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.
"You have to start on time, and we're getting to the point here, it's almost November, and this is a recurring thing," Cassidy said. "So, veteran group, get yourself ready to play.
"We weren't ready to play tonight."
That said, Colorado was more than prepared.
Colorado opened the scoring just 41 seconds into the game on Martin Necas' eighth goal of the season, executing a play Cassidy said the team just reviewed "nine minutes before the game."
"Talked about it, showed it, righties to righties - (Nathan) MacKinnon, (Cale) Makar and Necas will end up, if they roll down that side looking for the seam, that's what they did," Cassidy said. "Our D didn't get out in the passing lane."
Brock Nelson made it 2-0 for the Avs, when he grabbed Jack Drury's stretch pass down the center of the ice, raced in on a breakaway and beat rookie goaltender Carl Lindbom, who was making his second-ever NHL start.
The Knights weren't able to light the lamp until early in the third, when Tomas Hertl found the back of the net for the fifth time this season during a 4-on-3.
Despite Hertl's power-play goal, Vegas continued its brutal stretch with the man advantage. The Golden Knights were 1 of 6 on the power play and are now 2 of 19 with a man advantage the last five games.
Avs defenseman Brent Burns pushed the lead back to two goals, but it wouldn't last long. Vegas forward Mitch Marner fired the puck from near the goal line and a fortuitous bounce of Burns' stick put the neck in the roof of the goal to once again make it a one-goal game less than two minutes later.
Colorado netminder Scott Wedgewood locked it down from there, and Makar's empty net goal with 1:38 left put the game out of reach.
"There's things we need to work on, obviously," Cassidy said. "We all saw that tonight. We're not alone in this league, early in the year, that you're always fixing something, usually. So, power play reps would be one of them. What we can't fix in practice is the shooting mentality. Like, the start of the game, we have a 2-on-1, we have a chance to put them on their heels, too. We turn down opportunities to shoot ... in the first period over and over.
"A little bit better as the game went on, but that's something we have to fix between the ears. So we'll keep pounding away on that. We shoot lots of pucks in practice. You just got to make the decision that's what you're going to do."
With the Golden Knights at home for a two-week stretch, Cassidy said his team should be well rested and anticipates a solid homestand and the Knights being ready to play.
Vegas will host the surprising Atlantic Division-leading Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.
"So we're gonna have to be on our toes," Cassidy added.