The Knights were shut out for the third time in six games and lost to Arizona at home on Saturday night despite allowing a season-low 18 shots on goal.
Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar (55) battles at the net while Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram (39) saves the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_009-.jpg">
Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram (39) saves an attempted goal by Golden Knights center William Karlsson (71) while Coyotes left wing Michael Carcone (53) defends during the second period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_007-.jpg">
Golden Knights right wing Michael Amadio (22) dives toward the action while Coyotes defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok (52) and Knights center Paul Cotter (43) skate for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_003.jpg">
Golden Knights defenseman Ben Hutton (17) reaches for the puck against Coyotes left wing Lawson Crouse (67) during the first period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_004.jpg">
Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson (36) monitors the puck while Coyotes center Alexander Kerfoot (15) passes and Knights right wing Jonathan Marchessault (81) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_002.jpg">
Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson skates around the net during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Coyotes at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_005.jpg">
Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud (2) fights Coyotes left wing Lawson Crouse (67) during the first period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_006-.jpg">
Golden Knights right wing Michael Amadio (22) attempts a goal while Coyotes defenseman Sean Durzi (50) reaches to block during the second period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_008-.jpg">
Golden Knights center Paul Cotter (43) skates with the puck before attempting a goal while Coyotes defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok (52) looks ahead during the second period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_001.jpg">
The Golden Knights take the ice before an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena against the Coyotes on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_020-.jpg">
Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (7) reacts after missing a goal against Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram (39) during the second period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_019-.jpg">
A young fan cheers for the Golden Knights during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Coyotes at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_021-.jpg">
Coyotes left wing Lawson Crouse (67) shoots an empty-net goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_012-.jpg">
Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson (36) saves the puck from a shot by Coyotes defenseman Josh Brown (3) during the third period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_011-.jpg">
Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram (39) saves the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Coyotes at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_013-.jpg">
Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague (14) reaches to block a Coyotes shot during the third period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_014-.jpg">
Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson (36) saves the puck against the Coyotes during the third period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_017-.jpg">
Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz, left, center Logan Cooley (92) and right wing Clayton Keller, right, celebrate Keller’s goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_015-.jpg">
Coyotes left wing Matias Maccelli (63) skates for the puck against Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague (14) during the third period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_018-.jpg">
Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson (36) saves the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Coyotes at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/18555964_web1_HKN-KNIGHTS-112523-es_016-.jpg">
Coyotes right wing Clayton Keller (9) scores a goal on Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson (36) during the third period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Keller knocked in a puck with 9:22 remaining in the third period to break a scoreless tie and help lift the Arizona Coyotes to a 2-0 road win over the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night.
Logan Cooley won the puck from Brayden Pachal behind the net and fed it to the front of the net, where it deflected to Keller for an easy finish past a scrambling Logan Thompson.
“They outworked our defense to get a puck to the front of the net,” Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “That shouldn’t happen.”
Lawson Crouse added an empty-net tally for the Coyotes.
The Knights (14-5-2) were shut out for the third time in six games, despite allowing a season-low 18 shots on goal. It was the first time they have been shut out at home since Jan. 16 against Dallas.
“Everybody gets excited to play us,” forward Jonathan Marchessault said. “We’re one of the good teams in the NHL, and it’s not always going to be about rainbows and butterflies. Right now, we’re going through a rough stretch, and teams are ready for us. We’re a measuring stick for them. For us, it’s not good enough. We were a little sleepy during the games, and tonight it’s an unnecessary loss.”
Arizona (9-9-2) managed just 10 shots through the first two periods. Connor Ingram recorded 34 saves to earn his second-career shutout for the Coyotes.
Here are three takeaways from the loss:
What the Knights hoped was a small blip on the radar is starting to look more like a troubling storm developing, as they were shut out for the third time in the last six games.
They have scored just 11 goals over that stretch.
“It’s definitely (a period of frustration),” Marchessault said. “You have to wake up the next day and think, ‘What can I do to become better?’ If everybody looks at themselves in the mirror and does that, I think we’ll be fine.”
The Knights have gone through tough offensive stretches before, but they were shut out just twice in the regular season and playoffs combined last year.
A consistent message coming out of the locker room has been a belief the goals will come if they just keep generating chances, but Marchessault didn’t see enough of those tonight.
“We had a couple of chances, but I don’t think it was a lot,” said Marchessault, who had two shots on goal. “I don’t think there’s enough generated. We didn’t get our forecheck going, we didn’t sustain pressure in the (offensive) zone a lot. We do have chances, but not that much. If we had a lot of chances, I think we’d be finding the back of the net more.”
The Knights were credited with six high-danger chances in the first period and three more in the second, according to Natural Stat Trick. Arizona had just four in the game, but converted on their only such opportunity of the third period for the decisive goal.
“In the NHL now, if you let a team linger, then one mistake ends up in the back of your net and you have to play catch-up hockey,” Marchessault said. “I think we should have put that game away in the first period, and we didn’t again.”
Less than a week after putting their projected top 18 skaters on the ice for the first time all season, the Knights are without two of their best defensemen.
Alec Martinez missed a second consecutive game with a lower-body injury, and Shea Theodore sat out with an upper-body injury.
Cassidy said he’s optimistic neither is a long-term issue, though he was still gathering information on Theodore’s injury because he just found out about it Saturday morning after the Knights had the two previous days off. Martinez is day-to-day, though Cassidy indicated he will likely miss the upcoming road trip to Canada.
Brayden Pachal and Ben Hutton were inserted in the lineup in their place and paired together Saturday night. Zach Whitecloud moved up and paired with Brayden McNabb.
Cassidy said the team is quite accustomed to dealing with injuries at this point and doesn’t expect this situation to be any different, though he acknowledged Theodore is one of the most difficult players for the team to replace. It doesn’t help that Theodore and McNabb have been the most consistent pairing this season, in Cassidy’s opinion.
“I think losing (Theodore) is a little different because he’s our most dynamic offensive player, and we can’t automatically replace a lot of what he does,” Cassidy said. “He is a game-changer with some of the plays he makes, and he has this year. That will probably affect our offensive transition game more than anywhere.
“There’s only one (Theodore) on our team, and when he’s out, it’s not something where you can just tap a guy on the shoulder and tell him to do (what he does).”
The Knights arrived home late Wednesday from their longest road trip of the season thus far to play their first home game in more than two weeks Saturday night.
Now they are off to Canada on Sunday to play the first of three consecutive road games in Calgary on Monday night.
Forward Keegan Kolesar had barely settled back into his place before repacking his bags during the team’s off day.
“I’m not going to want to go home and start packing after we play,” he said before Saturday’s game. “I had the day off Friday, so I figured I may as well get it done.”
After playing the Flames, the Knights travel to Edmonton on Tuesday and Vancouver on Thursday before finally getting a couple of days at home next week.
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