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Golden Knights Show Defensive Resolve, Rally Before Falling To Bruins In Shootout
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- Golden Knights Show Defensive Resolve, Rally Before Falling To Bruins In Shootout
(Winslow Townson-Imagn Images)
The Vegas Golden Knights didn't get the two points they wanted Monday night, but they may have rediscovered something equally important as they continue their road trip.
Their defensive identity.
After falling behind by two goals, the Golden Knights responded with aggressive checking, timely penalty killing and a third-period equalizer from rookie Trevor Connellybefore falling 3-2 in a shootout to the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.
Captain Mark Stonescored his team-leading 10th goal of the season on the power play, while Connelly delivered his fifth goal to complete the comeback. Mitch Marnercontributed two assists, bringing his season total to 17 points and his career total to 51 in 31 games against Boston.
James Hagensscored his sixth goal of the season and Morgan Geekie added a power-play goal to give Boston a 2-0 lead in the second period before Stone answered. Connelly tied the game 7:23 into the third period, converting a feed from Noah Hanifin, with Marner collecting his second assist.
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After a scoreless overtime, David Pastrnakbeat Carter Hartin the third round of the shootout, while Jeremy Swaymandenied Connelly, Jack Eicheland Marner.
Hart finished with 25 saves for Vegas, while Swayman stopped 21 shots for Boston, which won its sixth consecutive home game. The Golden Knights have lost five of their last six games after opening the season 8-2.
The Golden Knights (9-5-2) earned a point despite their fourth consecutive game without a victory, while the Bruins (11-4-1) continued their strong start at home.
More importantly for Vegas, the defensive effort represented a noticeable improvement for a team that entered the contest having surrendered 14 goals during its previous three games.
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"I thought there was a commitment to it, a heaviness to it, an engagement," Golden Knights coach Ryan Craigsaid of his team's checking. "When we got going, our checking was the reason for it."
Craig credited his team's leadership for keeping the Golden Knights composed after falling behind and losing a forward during the game.
"I thought our leaders did a great job of leading us," Craig said. "We stayed with it."
Stone echoed that assessment, emphasizing that the Golden Knights were more aggressive defensively while remaining disciplined in their positioning.
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"All in all, definitely a step in the right direction for the way we've been playing," Stone said. "So obviously two is better than one, but take the good with the bad."
Key Moment
Vegas faced a potentially devastating situation when Boston capitalized early during a five-minute major penalty against the Golden Knights.
Rather than allowing the Bruins to turn the extended man advantage into a commanding lead, Vegas killed off the remaining penalty time and gradually seized momentum.
The Golden Knights entered the game ranked 26th in the NHL on the penalty kill at 69.4%, including a 64.7% success rate on the road. Their ability to withstand the remaining four-plus minutes of Boston's power play proved pivotal.
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"I thought that kill did a lot for us to get us going," Craig said.
The Golden Knights eventually completed their comeback when Hanifin moved down the wall and delivered a pass toward the backdoor, where Connelly found an opening and converted.
The goal forced overtime, where Vegas generated opportunities but couldn't finish before Boston prevailed in the shootout.
"I saw some guys going net and just tried to put it in that area," Hanifin said. "Luckily Trev found that soft spot and put it in."
Key Stat
Boston entered Monday having scored at least five goals in five consecutive home games.
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That streak ended against a Golden Knights team that limited the Bruins to two goals through regulation and overtime, an encouraging defensive performance against a physical opponent that entered the game averaging 3.67 goals per contest.
The Bruins had also won five consecutive games at TD Garden, where they entered with a 6-1-0 record.
Vegas' ability to limit Boston's offensive opportunities was especially encouraging after the Golden Knights had allowed 14 goals over their previous three games.
"We were connected, which is limiting the chances against and kept their shot volume down," Hanifin said. "I thought we did a good job just taking care of our net front after that."
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What a Knight: Trevor Connelly
The 20-year-old rookie continued making his presence felt with one of the biggest goals of his young NHL career.
Connelly, who now has five goals and five assists for 10 points in 16 games, showed resilience after absorbing a heavy hit in the first period, returning to deliver the third-period equalizer.
"He's a resilient guy," Stone said. "He came back and scores a huge goal for us."
Craig offered similar praise for a player continuing to demonstrate that he belongs at the NHL level.
"A young kid in this league, continuing to show why he belongs here," Craig said.
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Connelly's goal highlighted his offensive instincts, particularly his ability to recognize open space and capitalize on Hanifin's developing play.
Up Next
The Golden Knights travel to Pittsburgh for Tuesday's matchup against the Penguins, completing a quick turnaround after Monday's shootout defeat.
"We got a point," Craig said. "Now you move on to Pittsburgh and we build on it. That's our job, is now to build on it and get two tomorrow."
Photo Caption
Boston Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei (6) and Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) go for a loose puck during the second period at TD Garden.
