COLUMBUS—As the wins begin to dry up for the Vegas Golden Knights, the problems in their operation have become more alarming.
On Saturday, the Golden Knights witnessed another flare-up, costing them in overtime in a 2-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The scoring would start on something of a bad break for the Golden Knights, as an attempt to clear the zone bounced off of one of the camera holes in the glass. That kept the puck in the offensive zone for Columbus, ending with Denton Mateychuk having a clear lane to the net and landing a nifty move in front to beat Carter Hart on the backhand.
Before the first period was through, however, the Golden Knights would manage to find a response. Trevor Connelly would find Braedan Bowman crashing the net, and his shot would almost find a way to break through Columbus goaltender and Golden Knights nemesis Cam Talbot. Tomas Hertl would find the loose puck first, and the teams would go into the first intermission tied at one.
The next two periods would be the traditional fare of two teams undergoing early-season malaise.
That was not to say the Golden Knights lacked intrigue in the final 40 minutes. Connelly was promoted to the top line with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone at the end of the second period and stayed there, with that line producing the best chances from that point onward. The third period also saw the penalty kill see some level of improvement, killing two penalties early on to give Vegas a chance.
The redemption arc would not last, as Shea Theodore’s penalty 15 seconds into overtime would see Adam Fantilli put the dagger into the Golden Knights.
Losers of three straight for the first time this season, head coach Ryan Craig can clearly see the issues that require fixing.
The Golden Knights offense has dried up with three goals in the last nine periods of hockey; that number is bound to crawl back up once Mitch Marner slots back into the lineup, but it is still a concern how little punch there is in the lineup when one of their main offensive engines is out. The penalty kill has also been a problem with five straight games with a power play goal allowed, and it would not be surprising to see a change in the units moving forward to find a combination that works.
The Golden Knights will have a couple of days to try and scrounge together some answers, with the hopes they lead to a return to the win column on Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators at T-Mobile Arena.