Knights' defensive woes continue in 5-2 loss to Wild

LAS VEGAS — You knew it was going to be a long night when the opposition scored a goal 26 seconds into the game.

And when the exact same scenario happened again in the second period, well, that’s just bad karma.

Or maybe the blame lies with the Backstreet Boys, who showed up and cranked the rally siren prior to puck drop. Hey, when in doubt, blame the boy band.

In any event, the Golden Knights were due for a stinker and did they deliver Monday night at T-Mobile Arena. Vegas spotted the Minnesota Wild a 5-0 lead and it resulted in one of the Knights’ worst performances of the season, a 5-2 drubbing as they’ve now dropped four of their last five games.

The Knights were no-shows in their own building for much of the contest, much the way the Raiders failed to show up Sunday at Allegiant Stadium. The major difference was the Knights weren’t looking to lose and had no upside to getting beat.

“They were on top of us early,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “You’ve got to do a better job of getting out on the shooters. Too many easy plays for them.

“We’ve got to plug some holes. It’s five goals (tonight). It’s five goals against Colorado. Five against Calgary. Four against Edmonton. We have to start there. We just have to. That’s an area we have to get better at.”

For Carter Hart, it was a night he’d just as soon forget. He was making his fourth straight start in goal and he was dented by Marcus Johansson 26 seconds into the match. He would surrender five goals on just 12 shots, including another Minnesota goal 26 seconds into the second period by Jared Spurgeon. Cassidy mercifully pulled him in favor of Akira Schmid after Joel Erikkson Ek tallied Minnesota’s fifth goal just shy of the seven-minute mark of the middle stanza.

But the Knights’ woes were just starting.

Tomas Hertl, who plays hard most shifts, crossed the line just over two minutes into the contest as he clobbered Ryan Hartman from behind along the boards in the Vegas end. He was assessed a five-minute boarding major along with a game misconduct.

Yet despite being shy for a long stretch, Vegas managed to avoid giving up a goal. For that, it can thank Brayden McNabb who prevented a sure goal by clearing the puck out of the crease before it could cross the goal line and into the net.

McNabb would be the one who broke Filip Gustavsson’s shutout bid late in the second with a wrist shot from just inside the left circle to cut the deficit to 5-1. He was easily Vegas’ best player Monday night.

The Knights got as close as 5-2 on a Mark Stone goal early in the third period. But the Wild were not about to let this one get away from it. John Hynes’ guys settled down and while they couldn’t get one past Schmid, who stopped all 15 shots he faced in relief, Minnesota’s territorial play was good enough to secure the win, dropping the Knights into second place in the Pacific Division behind Edmonton, which won in Winnipeg Monday night, 3-1.

“That goal to start the second period, we’re trying to get back in the game, we’ve got 40 minutes and the next goal, you’re right there. We’re one shot away,” Cassidy said. “But it didn’t happen and it snowballed from there.”  
 
They would lose defenseman Zach Whitecloud for a brief time in the third period after he and teammate Noah Hanifin collided and Whitecloud appeared to get the worst of it, unable to put weight on his left leg as left the ice and went down the tunnel to the Vegas dressing room. Whitecloud was able to return late in the period, which was good news.

There was more good news from earlier in the day, as center Jack Eichel participated in a red non-contact jersey during the team’s morning skate. And while Eichel didn’t play against the Wild, his sixth straight game he has missed with a lower-body injury and illness, he could return Wednesday for the New Year’s Eve matinee against Nashville.

Still, this was a night the Golden Knights would just as soon forget. And they’ll get a chance to put this one behind them in less than 48 hours.