Golden Knights rookie Cody Glass had a rough start to his NHL debut, but by the night’s end, he left his nerves behind and significantly impacted the ice.
Glass, Vegas’ first-ever draft pick, selected sixth overall in 2017, scored his first career goal in the Golden Knights’ 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks in the season opener on Wednesday night.
“It’s nerve-wracking, especially with all those fans,” said Glass, who played on a line with veteran stars Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. “I just took a deep breath and tried forgetting the nerves. I felt more comfortable once I got my first shift in and just played my game.”
Pacioretty assisted on Glass’ goal, while Stone contributed a goal and an assist. Reilly Smith also shined, netting two goals for the Golden Knights, who improved their regular-season record at T-Mobile Arena to 54-22-7.
Glass’ father and brother were in attendance for the game, making the moment even more special. “They’ve been through all the ups and downs with me,” Glass said. “It’s incredible to have them here for this moment.”
Veteran goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made 21 saves to secure the win in his 799th career game, improving his record in season openers to 10-5-0. The victory tied Fleury with NHL greats Curtis Joseph and Martin Brodeur for the most season-opening wins in league history.
The Golden Knights continued their regular-season dominance over the Sharks, improving to 6-1-2 all-time against their West Division rivals. However, this win was especially sweet for Vegas after being controversially eliminated by San Jose in Game 7’s first round of the previous season’s playoffs.
“It’s nice to get that first win at home, especially against these guys,” said Fleury. “Our team played an awesome game from start to finish.”
San Jose’s Marcus Sorensen scored the lone goal for the Sharks, who were missing key players. Forward Evander Kane served the first game of a three-game suspension, while All-Star defenseman Erik Karlsson was ruled out due to a personal matter. Goalie Martin Jones made 31 saves for the Sharks.
“It’s tough for our young players to step into this kind of environment against a strong veteran team,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. “We’ll learn from this and get better.”
Vegas started strong, with Stone opening the scoring on a power play, followed by Smith’s one-timer from William Karlsson, who recorded his 100th career assist. Sorensen responded with a goal for the Sharks, but Glass extended the Golden Knights’ lead, and Smith sealed the win with a short-handed goal in the third period.
Game Notes
Vegas defenseman Nate Schmidt left the game in the first period with what appeared to be a knee injury after colliding with Logan Couture. Glass wasn’t the only rookie making an impact for the Golden Knights; Nicolas Hague and Nicolas Roy were recalled from the Chicago Wolves but were healthy scratches for this game. Sharks defenseman Brent Burns played in his 472nd consecutive game, and Joe Thornton remains one of only two players on active rosters who played in the NHL during the 1990s.
UP NEXT
- Sharks: Host Vegas on Friday night.
- Golden Knights: Travel to San Jose for a rematch on Friday night.