Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024 | 10:55 a.m.
Alexander Holtz could care less about how Los Angeles Kings goaltender David Rittich felt about his goal.
Holtz chased after the puck behind the Kings’ net and received a shove from Rittich when he got close to the goalie. Seconds later, Holtz got the last laugh as he netted his first goal of the season at Rittich’s expense.
“I don’t really care about that,” Holtz laughed when asked about getting shoved by Rittich.
Tuesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Kings saw the first line all get on the scoresheet once again, but the bottom nine highlighted the Golden Knights’ 6-1 victory.
For the first time this season, the second line scored. A pass from Tomas Hertl to Pavel Dorofeyev found the back of the net and ended a six-game drought for the trio.
But it didn’t stop there. In the third period, Hertl scored for a second time, finishing with four points. He set a franchise record for points in a single frame, picking up three in the first period. It was the highest single-game point total for Hertl since Jan. 17, 2022, when he was with San Jose.
“It definitely feels nice. I can’t lie about it,” Hertl said. “When you have three points in the first (period), it’s really good. I’m more happy about a great win and great performance by our team.”
Finding the right pairing for Hertl has been one of the Golden Knights’ biggest focal points. Holtz and Tanner Pearson had tryouts on the second line before Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy went with Brett Howden against the Kings.
The change has benefitted the second line and those behind it. Holtz is now on the fourth line with Brendan Brisson and Cole Schwindt. Holtz said he feels like he’s developing chemistry on the fourth line, which is made up of the Golden Knights’ “younger guys.”
“We’re all young guys in this league, and we’re trying to build every game,” Holtz said. “It’s gonna take some time, but we all want to make plays out there.”
It’s one game, and Hertl isn’t trying to get too excited, but he sees the second line’s strong performance as a chance to build moving forward.
Cassidy has mentioned how much of an impact seeing the puck find the back of the net has on a player’s confidence. With Hertl alone recording four points on Tuesday night, he could finally start to find his rhythm.
“I know our five-on-five hasn’t been there, and it’s still just one game, but hopefully, it will help us move forward,” Hertl said. “We will keep pushing, hold the puck and go to the net. That’s how we score in this league.”
Getting a spark from Hertl after a rough road trip is exactly what Cassidy was looking for. Still without William Karlsson, who could return as soon as Friday against the Ottawa Senators, Hertl’s role was even more critical against the Kings.
“He (Hertl) looked a little down coming off the road trip; he wants to help us win,” Cassidy said. “With Karly (Karlsson) not driving a line, there’s even more emphasis on him doing more tonight. He certainly did that.”