LAS VEGAS -- The Golden Knights start a 5-game homestand with a thriller against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday Night.
Keegan Kolesar would score 66 seconds into the game, Keegan Kolesar would score the opener with his 11th goal of the season and assisted by Brett Howden.
Nick Folgino would tie it at 1 a piece with his 12th goal of the season, assisted by Alex Vasic, to make it a 1-1 game.
Nic Hague would score a wrister goal with his 4th goal of the game and It was assisted from Brett Howden to bring the Golden Knights back in front once again.
Teuvo Teravainen would then go to the penalty box for a tripping penalty and Ivan Barbashev would make them pay, giving the Golden Knights the two goal lead at 3-1 with his 17th goal of the campaign. The assist was from Alex Pietrangelo.
2nd-year man Connor Bedard would then go to the box where the Golden Knights get another power play opportunity and they would take full advantage of the power play once again as Tomas Hertl and Jack Eichel combine with the snapshot goal from close range to score the 4th goal of the first period and would end up being Hertl's 23rd goal of the campaign as his hot streak of goal contributing would continue here tonight.
Pavel Dorofeyev would make it a five goal first period for Vegas tonight as he scores his 24th goal of the season, and making it an absolute goal fest as the first period ended with a four goal lead heading into the 2nd period.
The Blackhawks would pull two back in the 2nd period, the first coming from Blackhawks Center Colton Dach to make it 5-2 and Ethan Del, a rookie for Chicago would score his first ever goal in the NHL as he would make it 5-3 and that would surely be a moment he will not forget as he scores is 1st career goal in the National Hockey League.
Keegan Kolesar would then get his 12th goal making it 6-3 as the scoring continued for the Golden Knights with Barbashev getting his 2nd assist of the night,
Things in the third period would get a little anxious as the Blackhawks cut the deficit to 1 in the third period, scoring two goals, scoring to make it 4-6 was Illya Mikheyev, Right winger for the Chicago Blackhawks, and Philipp Kurashev as Golden Knights keeper Illya Samsonov would concede his 5th goal of the game.
But to restore order, the Golden Knights would reestablish a multi-goal lead once again by scoring to make it 7-5 in favor of Vegas. with his 18th goal of the season, and the 75th assist in the career of Brett Howden, who ended up having a hat trick of assists tonight, a great offensive performance by him, and the rest of the team as well as the game would end with a final score of 7-5.
Personal Thoughts
The game went pretty well up until the halfway point in the second period, I think when going up four goal lead, that should be it, as far as the winner should be concerned, overall a win is a win, but as they breakdown why they let it get that close, I think they'll be saying to themselves how lucky they were that they didn't give up the lead, and were able to hang on, and in the end find a way to win.
Golden Knights Next Game
Vegas have two days off before they host the New Jersey Devils, on Sunday, March 2nd. Game is slated to start 5:00 PM PST.