Golden Knights fend off Vancouver Canucks for the first road win of the season, thanks to Adin Hill
You know, a gimme shot isn't always a gimme shot. Sometimes, it can be the trickiest shot of your life that you end up overthinking. You could certainly say that about the Vegas Golden Knights after they were defeated on Friday, 4-3. Sunday's game? Well, that looked like a gimme, only it wasn't.
The Canucks gave it their all on Sunday night, getting goals from former Golden Knight, Paul Cotter, and Jonathan Lekkerimaki. However, that wasn't enough for Vancouver as the Golden Knights prevailed, 3-2.
Scoring for the Golden Knights was Mitch Marner, Victor Olofsson, and Marc Gatcomb with the game-winner. Adin Hill was also the focal point of the game, stopping 18 of 20 shots for the Golden Knights.
Why Adin Hill mattered for the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday
Many people have roasted Hill for his lackluster performance last season. Aside from dealing with a wave of injuries, the goaltender also posted a GAA of 3.04 and a save percentage of... .871. Mind you, Bruce Cassidy made him his ride-or-die until he was relieved of his duties.
Still, Sunday's performance was the confidence-builder that the goaltender needed to get back on track. He withstood a late onslaught with the net empty to preserve the Golden Knights' 3-2 win.
How? With a steady glove and using his size to cover the crease. Now, he's not expected to be a Vezina Trophy winner by any stretch. But a good performance on Sunday was vital for getting back into the groove that he was originally in.
The Golden Knights can build off this win with another... and another
The Golden Knights will travel south (back to the United States, that is) for a Tuesday matinee against the Seattle Kraken. Meanwhile, the Canucks will actually head to the South and take on the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes, on Thursday.
Now, Hill probably isn't getting the start on Tuesday, barring a change of mind. He's also unlikely to get the starter role back unless Carter Hart completely craters. But the moral of the story is that you need a win like this to get you back into the swing of things.
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