The Vegas Golden Knights are chasing the top seed in the Western Conference, and Laurent Brossoit is making a strong case to be their starting goalie in the playoffs.
Both objectives took a step forward Saturday night as Brossoit made 31 saves, helping the Knights secure a 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild in a clash of division leaders. This game marked the first of a home-and-home series, with the teams set to meet again Monday night in Minnesota.
Chandler Stephenson led the Knights with a goal and an assist, while Ben Hutton, Zach Whitecloud, and Brett Howden also found the back of the net. Jack Eichel contributed two assists. Matt Boldy scored the lone goal for Minnesota.
“I thought it was one of our more complete games,” Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “They got the first goal, and we kept playing. That’s what I liked most about it.”
The Knights, who have already clinched a playoff spot, bolstered their bid for the Pacific Division title with this win, reaching 101 points. This marks the second time in the franchise’s six-year history that the Knights have surpassed the 100-point mark, and they are the first Western Conference team to hit that milestone this season.
Despite their victory, the Knights’ lead in the Pacific Division remains precarious, with Edmonton (99 points) and Los Angeles (98) close behind.
Minnesota, which would have secured a playoff spot with a victory, remains at 97 points and leads the Central Division by just one point over Dallas and Colorado. The Wild’s six-game point streak ended with this loss, though their 36 points since Feb. 17 are the most in the NHL.
“We had plenty of opportunities to score in this hockey game, but having said that, we didn’t like our energy,” Minnesota coach Dean Evason said.
Brossoit, who is 3-0-3 this season, aims to secure the starting goalie position with just six games remaining in the regular season. He is one of five goalies to earn multiple victories for the Knights amid a season marred by injuries. Recently returning from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for 13 games, Brossoit spent much of the season in the AHL but is a nine-year NHL veteran.
“Obviously, I want to be the guy,” Brossoit said. “I just kind of look to keep performing like this and keep building and building.”
Brossoit outperformed former Knight Marc-Andre Fleury, who made 35 saves for the Wild. Fleury had been 8-0-1 over his previous nine starts, with an average of 2.19 goals allowed.
Minnesota took an early lead with Boldy’s goal five minutes into the game, but Hutton responded nearly five minutes later. Whitecloud and Howden scored in the second period for Vegas, and Stephenson added an empty-net goal with 1:14 left.
“I think we stuck with our game,” Eichel said. “They come out and get that goal early, but we responded well. … Those two points, it’s a big win.”
Game Notes
- Minnesota forward Mason Shaw suffered a non-contact lower-body injury less than five minutes into the game and did not return. He was helped off the ice but could not put weight on his right leg.
- Knights forward Nic Roy took a puck to the face from teammate Alex Pietrangelo’s shot in the second period and briefly left the game but returned.
- Eichel (one goal, seven assists) and Ivan Barbashev (one goal, four assists) extended their point streaks to five games.
- Boldy has 16 points (12 goals, four assists) in his past 11 games.
UP NEXT
- Golden Knights: Host Minnesota on Saturday night.
- Sharks: At Arizona on Saturday night.
