GDT 43: 1/4/20 | 3:00 PM CT | @ G. Knights | NHLN/101ESPN

[theohall]

The Vegas Golden Knights will put a three-game winning streak on the line Saturday afternoon when they host the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in Las Vegas.

The Golden Knights, who started the season a pedestrian 11-11-4, have rebounded to go 11-4-2 since Thanksgiving, including a hold-your-breath 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night that saw them successfully kill a 6-on-3 power play for 43 of the final 89 seconds and a 6-on-4 the rest of the way.

"The three guys did an incredible job," Vegas coach Gerard Gallant told reporters of the late penalty kill. "They had awesome blocks and they paid the price to win a hockey game. That is what you love to see from your team."

William Karlsson blocked a shot from the slot by Ivan Provorov and Brayden McNabb had a sliding block on a Shayne Gostisbehere shot from the right side of the goal. Marc-Andre Fleury also made a save on a Claude Giroux slap shot to get the Golden Knights, who lead Arizona by two points for first place in the Pacific Division, out of the late jam.

Afterward Gallant became agitated when asked by a reporter if it was a statement win for his team because Vegas had struggled against playoff-caliber teams. Of their 11 wins during their current 17-game stretch, just five have come against teams that would be in the playoffs entering Friday (Arizona twice, Vancouver, Dallas in OT and Philadelphia) with the majority against teams (Rangers, New Jersey, Chicago, Minnesota, San Jose, Anaheim) at or near the bottom of their divisions.

"We're negative tonight, aren't we?" Gallant bristled. "Like struggle against teams? We're in first place aren't we? We're in first place and I thought we've had a good run the last 20-some games. Oh, so the whole league isn't a good league anymore? Like, come on.

"We just won a big game," Gallant continued. "Did we not play good enough to win? Were we not the better team tonight? Yeah, that's it. The only teams we beat are bad teams ... supposedly. Like, what?"

Gallant, who earlier in the news conference objected to the phrase "held on" for the wild finish of the game, then stormed off the podium.

Vegas has a chance to add a definite marquee win Saturday against Western Conference-leading St. Louis, which dropped the first two games of its three-game Western road trip, including a 7-3 loss at Colorado on Thursday night. The Blues finished the 2019 calendar year with the best record in the NHL (56-19-11, 123 points) while Vegas was tied with Columbus for 16th with 93 points.

The loss to the Avalanche was the most lopsided of the season for St. Louis, which had an eight-game win streak snapped at Arizona (3-1) to begin the trip two days earlier.

"I think we didn't play a very smart game tonight, that's the bottom line," Blues coach Craig Berube told reporters. "You have to play good defense against this team and manage things, and we didn't do it. ... We took too many penalties."

St. Louis allowed the Avalanche to score three power-play goals on five opportunities.

"We just kind of deviated from our normal structure, and got to playing their kind of game, and obviously it killed us," said center Ryan O'Reilly. "We gave them way too much off the rush and we didn't play our normal heavy game, and we didn't have enough O-zone time. We have to adjust, and we have got to respond."

[gaijin]

Time to rebound.

[glen a richter]

Time to put an end to the sudden epidemic of suck. It would be the height of craptitude if this team decided from January on to play like total shit and be effectively the anti-2019 Blues.

Win and win big.

Blues - 6 Perron, Schwartz, Faulk, Sunny, Steen, Bouw
Knights - 1

[ibldbl]

Parayko sick or injured?

[Robb_K]

Great to see The Blues start this game so well! With Schwartz and scoring! NOW Sundqvist scores - popping in the loose puck after a Barbashev shot!!!! Blues lead 3-0!!!! Vegas has the bad luck of The Blues being embarrassed in the last 2 games.

And now Thomas is robbed by Fleury!!!

[ibldbl]

Welcome back Robb!

[Robb_K]

Great 1st Period by The Blues!! They came out determined to play their game and win. First time they've done that in 3 games. A good sign that if this team really is determined to play their own game, and to win, they should win most of those games, regardless of the opponent. Sundqvist, with 10 goals, is on a pace for 20!

[ibldbl]

Totally crappy second period

[Robb_K]

On the PP, Perron from far away, blasts a one-timer into the net!!! Blues tie it at 4!!!

[Robb_K]

Super save by Allen, to preserve the tie!!!

[gaijin]

Well that was another massive disappointment. 1 point in the last 3 games.

[JCShutout]

Yeah... about 2/3 of that game was garbage. Getting a point was big, but losing after a 3-0 lead is bad. (hot take!)

[theohall]

Sanford does not belong on that 4th line. He repeatedly got outworked and it led directly to 2 of the Goals Against.

Didn't see the game until today and was reading how Allen had a bad game. Well, Allen didn't have a bad game, considering the first 3 goals against are all the result of Blues players being outworked in the defensive zone. Reaves goal - Reaves beats Petro to the front of the net. Next goal - Carrier outworks Sanford. 3rd goal - Sanford again outworked letting the puck get to the front of the net. Can't get outworked like that and expect the goalie to stop cross-ice feeds when the Blues are outmanned directly in front of the net. The Blues lost because a) Vegas is a good hockey team and b) the Blues 4th line couldn't compete with Golden Knights 4th line.

[theohall]

Just to say something positive, they still haven't lost in regulation after scoring first and Vegas has never beaten the Blues in regulation.

[gaijin]

Have to wonder if Brouwer would be a better fit on that line than Sanford.

[StL_Dan]

...Vegas has never beaten the Blues in regulation.

I've been keeping my eye on this series since VGK entered the league. It's been nice to watch the Blues dominate the hot little uprising in Sin City. Although, I had big time concerns it was going to end after losing that 6 game winning streak to Col a couple days prior. Thanks, to DP57 it stays intact!

I hope the boys right the ship tomorrow night against St. Joseph.

[glen a richter]

Since replacing Kyrou with Sanford this team has played like utter crap. Forget him and put Jordan back in the lineup!

[StL Dan]

he's baaaaaaaaaaaaack

#33 will play tonight in the SJ game