In sports, a trap game is a game in which a team that is generally deemed easy to defeat gets the upper hand on a seemingly superior opponent. Trap games are very real, and they are very, very lethal. Even bad teams want to win, and being overlooked can be a hell of a drug.
There were times tonight when it looked like the Vegas Golden Knights might fall victim to the ever-dangerous trap game. The Vancouver Canucks, viewed more as a contender for the best odds in the Draft Lottery than the Stanley Cup, didn’t go quietly. But after surrendering the first goal, the Golden Knights looked every bit the mature, veteran team and gutted out a 3-2 win.
After a four-goal second period, this game could have devolved into a goal fest. It didn’t. Instead, the Golden Knights hunkered down in the third; they were outshot 9-2, but held the Canucks to just one high-danger scoring chance.
“They had a good push in the third,” said defenseman Brayden McNabb following the 3-2 win. “That’s usually how it goes if you’re down; you’re going to push. We did a good job for the most part; there’s some stuff we’ll probably want to clean up, but, good overall game for us.”
1. Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?
The Golden Knights trotted out a five-forward power play last season, and for most of the year, it was their deadliest weapon. Mitch Marner quarterbacked the top unit in place of a defenseman, and the power play ran through Jack Eichel at the half-wall. His options were Mark Stone below the goal line, Hertl in the bumper, or Pavel Dorofeyev as a one-time option in the right circle.
The Golden Knights signed old friend Victor Olofsson after trading Dorofeyev in the offseason. However, despite Olofsson being a perfect replacement for the left-shot sniper, he started the season on the second power play unit. On the top unit, Marner moved down to the right circle, and Shea Theodore returned to his spot at the point.
It took only nine power-play opportunities before the Golden Knights shifted back to the five-forward power play. And, wouldn’t you know it, Olofsson scored 30 seconds into the tenth.
“I just thought we’d switch something up, try to give us some different energy on the power play,” said head coach Ryan Craig following the 3-2 win. “It worked. Olofsson went to that spot. We attacked, and were able to get it done.”
2. Building an Identity
In the NHL, a good fourth line can be hard to come by. By nature, fourth liners don’t score many goals. Instead, they contribute in other ways: a sound defensive game and, of course, physicality. But sometimes, when all of that clicks, it translates to offense.
That’s exactly what happened tonight. After the Canucks found the equalizer, the Golden Knights sent out their ol’ reliable fourth line, and they were rewarded.
“As a 4th line, you like to have an identity and a role as to how you want to play each night, and try not to get away from it,” said Marc Gatcomb. “Ultimately, the goal is to win hockey games and to do anything you can to contribute, and that’s not always going to be a [goal], but anytime you can chip in on the score sheet, it’s great. We’re trying to build an identity here. And as we continue playing, and playing how we want, I think the chances are going to come in our favor.”
Just 34 seconds after Vancouver scored the equalizer, Gatcomb restored the Golden Knights’ lead. He and Nic Dowd pressured Paul Cotter into a turnover, then worked the puck deeper into the zone. Braeden Bowman found Gatcomb streaking toward the net, and the latter snapped it home for his first goal in a gold sweater.
“You want to try to tilt the ice back in your favor for sure, and do anything you can,” said Gatcomb following the game. “A goal’s always great, but that’s not always going to happen. But I think you just gotta try to get the momentum back in your hands. And that’s what we did tonight.”
3. Back Between the Pipes
In their first three games of the season, the Canucks averaged 5.7 goals and 23.7 shots per game. Tonight, the Golden Knights held them to just two goals and 20 shots. This team is committed to a defense-first mentality, and they like to make life easy on their goaltenders. For the most part, their goaltender returned the favor.
Adin Hill wasn’t perfect in his first NHL start since April 9th. His rebound control looked a bit shaky at the start of the game, and the second goal he allowed wasn’t a good one to give up. But when the Golden Knights needed him most, he answered the bell.
“It should give him some confidence; it should give our team some confidence in him,” head coach Ryan Craig said postgame. “I think Hilly would be the first to tell you that he didn’t like the second goal. I think what I liked was that our team picked him up and scored right after that. And then I liked that in the 3rd period, when we needed Hilly to make the saves, he was there. Good win by our team, and good win by Hilly.”
Hill saved 18 of 20 shots and earned his first win since March 30th. That win, too, came against the Vancouver Canucks.
“Obviously, the second goal, I’ve gotta have that one back,” said Hill following the 3-2 win. “But the guys responded well and scored the next shift, which was huge. They got us the lead back right away, and then we closed it out from there.”
