After a disappointing road trip, Vegas Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant called a team meeting to refocus his squad. The aim? This is to remind the defending Western Conference champions of their potential after last season’s run to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Golden Knights responded in dominant fashion Saturday night.
Marc-Andre Fleury secured his 50th career shutout, stopping 34 shots, while Brad Hunt and William Carrier each netted their first goals of the season as Vegas defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0.
“I thought the meeting was good, a reminder of how we need to play and who we are as a team,” Fleury said. “The coach wasn’t angry, just honest, and it helped us simplify our game. We didn’t do anything fancy tonight, but we played hard, and it paid off.”
Fleury, who recently moved into 10th place on the NHL’s all-time wins list, now has 410 career victories and became the 29th goaltender in league history to record 50 shutouts.
Ryan Reaves matched his goal total from last season, scoring his fourth for the Golden Knights.
“We played our game tonight, and that’s what mattered,” Gallant said. “We focused on playing a 60-minute game, battling hard, and getting back to what makes us successful.”
Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour praised his team’s energy before the game but admitted they struggled on the second night of a back-to-back. Goalie Scott Darling, playing after sitting out Friday’s overtime loss in Arizona, made 22 saves for the Hurricanes, but they couldn’t find their rhythm offensively. Carolina’s power-play woes continued, as they went 0 for 3 with the man advantage and are now 6 for 51 this season.
The Hurricanes, who started the season 4-0-1, have hit a rough patch, going 2-6-2 in their last 10 games, scoring only 17 goals during that span after netting 22 in their first five games.
“We need to figure out how to get the puck in the net,” Brind’Amour said. “Tonight was probably the toughest game we’ve played in this stretch, and we just couldn’t capitalize.”
Carolina’s best chances came in the third period, including a shot from Justin Williams that hit the crossbar and a wrist shot from Michael Ferland that clanged off the post during a power play.
“They get a lot of shots on the net every night, but our defense held up well, and Fleury was outstanding,” Gallant said.
Gallant’s positive message during the team meeting energized players like Reaves, Carrier, and Hunt, who scored despite limited action this season. Hunt, playing in just his fifth game, opened the scoring off a perfect pass from Erik Haula.
Reaves followed up with a backhand goal that slipped under Darling’s pads, giving Vegas a 2-0 lead early in the second period. Reaves, who scored seven career goals with St. Louis in 2016-17, is on pace for 23 goals this season.
Carrier capped the night by scoring after a turnover in Carolina’s zone, knocking in a rebound through Darling’s five-hole to secure the 3-0 win.
Game Notes:
Vegas defenseman Colin Miller played in his 199th career game, and Shea Theodore extended his point streak to three games. Carrier’s and Reaves’ goals bring the Golden Knights’ fourth line to seven goals this season. Despite the win, Vegas struggled on the power play, going 0 for 4, and are now 6 for 48 on the season.
Up Next:
- Carolina: Visits St. Louis on Tuesday.
- Vegas: Visits Toronto on Tuesday.