The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the New York Islanders on Sunday morning 4-3 in a shootout. Shea Theodore powered the team to victory as he had two goals in the third period as well as converted his shootout opportunity against Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin.
This was the second consecutive game that the Golden Knights won in a shootout after they defeated the Rangers in a similar fashion on Friday. Sunday’s victory marks 16 straight wins for the Golden Knights in games that have continued past regulation, an impressive streak.
It wasn’t an easy win for the Golden Knights but it was one in which they continued to fight and battle the entire game. They’ve developed a scrappy team identity and used that to their advantage tonight. The Islanders scored to make it 3-2 in the third period but coach Peter DeBoer successfully challenged the play for offsides. After they allowed a legitimate third goal against, the Golden Knights equalizer came while their goalie was pulled.
“We just stuck with it, and that’s the way the Golden Knights play,” said forward Jonathan Marchessault after the game. “We’re a resilient team, we’re never satisfied and we won’t quit in any game.”
Robin Lehner returns to Long Island
The Golden Knights goalie played for the Islanders earlier in his career and developed a special bond with the fanbase. Lehner has always been a popular player at all of his stops but in Long Island, the connection is especially special. Tonight he was honored by the team before the game with an emotional video tribute.
Lehner did manage to secure the victory in his return as he stopped all the shootout attempts that he faced. He’s found a new home in Vegas where the organization and fans have embraced him just as they did in Long Island and he’s having a good season thus far.
Shea Theodore dominates offensively
When he’s on his game, Shea Theodore is one of the league’s best offensive defensemen as he is very skilled and can create scoring chances in a multitude of ways. Tonight was one of those nights where he was everywhere as he scored two of the Golden Knights three goals.
It was a great performance from Theodore whose development with the Golden Knights has been impressive to follow. He’s continued to get better each and every season and this year looks like he could be on his way to setting a new career-high in points.
Alongside Alex Pietrangelo, the two make up one of the better offensively-minded defenseman duos in the league. Coach DeBoer can have one of those two players on the ice at almost all times and pair them together when chasing a goal like he did tonight.
The Golden Knights play their next game on Tuesday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The puck drops for that game at 7 PM Pacific Time.