LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights showcased an impressive performance on Monday night, defeating the Calgary Flames 5-0, with Keegan Kolesar shining brightly, netting two goals and adding an assist.
With this victory, the Golden Knights wrapped up a flawless 4-0 homestand, where they demonstrated exceptional offensive skill, outscoring their opponents 24-8 throughout the stretch. This outing marked Kolesar’s first career game with multiple goals.
Other contributors to the scoreline included Alex Pietrangelo, Mark Stone, and Nic Roy, all of whom found the back of the net, while goaltender Adin Hill secured the team’s first shutout of the season, stopping 16 shots from the Flames.
In contrast, Calgary’s Dan Vladar faced a tougher night in goal, making 31 saves as he attempted to hold off the relentless Golden Knights’ attack.
Observations from the game revealed that the Flames struggled in the faceoff circle, entering the match with the fourth-lowest win percentage at 44.9%, and their performance dipped further, winning only 42.1% of the draws during this matchup.
On the Golden Knights’ side, analytics from Money Puck indicated that the first line, consisting of Stone, Jack Eichel, and Ivan Barbashev, has been remarkably effective, contributing 13 goals during 5-on-5 play, the highest for any single line in the NHL.
A pivotal moment in the game came early in the second period when Eichel intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and advanced into the offensive end. He skillfully executed a backhanded drop pass to Stone, who swiftly fired a shot past Vladar, extending Vegas’s lead to 2-0.
Noteworthy for the Flames was Mikael Backlund, who skated in his 999th NHL game. Having made his NHL debut on January 8, 2009, he is set to become the 19th Swedish player in history to reach the milestone of 1,000 games.
Looking ahead, the Flames will be traveling to Utah for their next game on Wednesday, while the Golden Knights are set to face off against the Kings in Los Angeles on the same day.