Knights Come Alive In Final Minutes; Defeating Ducks 2-1 In OT

In what was a tightly contested game for 60 minutes, it was the final two minutes and roughly seven seconds that the Las Vegas Golden Knights finally found their rhythm and defeated the Anaheim Ducks 2-1, to move to 2-0 on the very young season. 

In what was a scoreless first period, the Golden Knights did play the better of the two squads, out-shooting Anaheim 15- and controlling the offensive zone. A late power play granted to the Ducks in the first period carried over to the second period but much like the other special teams chance tonight the Ducks could not convert. 

It was not until a crash of a couple of Knights behind Marc-Andre Fleury created a three on one breakout for the Ducks. Resulting in the first goal of the game, yet the third on the season for Max Comtois, Comtois was the only goal scorer for the Ducks in the two game series against the Knights. 

The one score lead was held onto until the final minutes of the game but that does not disclued the stops from Fleury, who made his 2021 season debut tonight. In the offseason, the Knights brought back Robin Lehner on a lucrative deal. Yet, the Fleury faithful still wondered how many games the Knights first ever net-minder would play in. Tonight marks his first in the new tandem with Lehner and Fleury still looked in tip-top shape, making 21 saves off of 22 shots and a few we will see on the highlight reel at the end of the night. 

Head Coach Peter DeBore, decided to pull Fleury and take the extra attacker chance with the empty net. Doing so with about two minutes left in the game, trailing by one, first ever Knights captain Mark Stone passed down low to Jonathan Marchessault, who found former draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks, William Karlsson who netted the tying tally. 

Heading into overtime, the Knights only needed seven seconds to bring home their second win of the season as Max Pacioretty put away the game winner, taking the first series meeting against Anaheim. 

On Monday, the Knights will host the Arizona Coyotes, the desert dogs are also 1-1, this series will be a four game set with two at home, then the following two in Arizona.