Nashville Predators 1, Vegas Golden Knights 5: Knights Rout Preds in Sin City

In their third and final meeting of the regular season, the Predators faced the Golden Knights in Las Vegas. Vegas goaltender Malcolm Subban held down the blue ice for his first start since early January. Colton Sissons and Kevin Fiala pressured hard in the first period, and Sissons was rewarded with around 5 minutes left. However, the goal would be ruled offside.

Max Pacioretty put Vegas up late in the first period. The puck appeared to have been secured by Juuse Saros, but the referees never blew the whistle. Pacioretty was able to poke the puck home.

P.K. Subban was whistled for interference with one minute left in the first. Shortly after, Jonathan Marchessault was sent to the box for clipping Sissons. The teams went into the second period with a bit of 4-on-4 time.

The Predators struggled to gain any sort of momentum in the second. Vegas continued to pummel Saros with shots. Viktor Arvidsson was whistled for holding midway through the second, and Vegas returned to the power play. Some incredible work in net by Saros was negated by a rebound goal from Brandon Pirri.

Brian Boyle drew a penalty to put the Predators on the power play with just under 7 minutes remaining in the second period. The power play, predictably, was unable to get anything going. Saros stood tall in net and continued to make save after save for the boys in gold.

The third period didn’t get off to the best start. Nashville failed to properly exit their zone, resulting in Vegas’s third goal of the contest from Shea Theodore.

With some excellent on-ice vision, Mattias Ekholm found Kevin Fiala right up the middle for Nashville’s first goal. The Predators amped up their play as the third period continued. Brayden McNabb tipped the puck out of play for a delay-of-game penalty, the the Nashville power play went back to work.

The Golden Knights killed off Nashville’s power play with ease. With the Predators on their heels, Oscar Lindberg buried Vegas’s fourth goal to rub salt in the Preds’ wounds. Pacioretty added another goal on a wicked wrist shot with under five minutes to go.

Nick Bonino was sent to the penalty box late in the game for tripping. The Knights were content to let the clock tick down and the Predators left Las Vegas with no points.

Random Observations

• Subban vs. Subban: who is better looking?
• Ryan Reaves just leveled Yannick Weber. Yikes.
• The Predators seem a bit discombobulated in their own end tonight.
• Kevin Fiala is bothering every Golden Knight tonight.
• Brian Boyle is sacrificing his shins for this team.
• Holy Juuse!
• Colton Sissons puts the Preds on the board!
• But...offside.
• Maybe the referees should have blown that play dead since there was no way they could have seen the puck? But okay?
• The Preds have been out-of-sorts since the Sissons goal was waived off.
• I like Vegas’s slot machine sound affects.
• Juuse Saros looks monstrous tonight.
• And...Saros is the only reason the Predators are still in this game.
• The power play is STILL a disaster.
• Tonight’s game is all highlight reel for Juuse Saros.
• Apparently Saros is the only one awake tonight.
• Shea Theodore makes it three.
• Kevin Fiala!
• Will Fiala’s goal result in some momentum for the Preds?
• Fiala hit the post...sigh.
• The power play is still awful.
• Poor, poor Juuse Saros.

Super Duper Stars of the Night

1. Juuse Saros: the young Nashville netminder made save after save in a valiant effort to keep the Predators in the game. No other Predator showed up tonight.

Tweets of the Night

Game Video