Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025 | 2 a.m.
Coming into Tuesday’s game, 12 hours away from the start of a new month and new year, the Vegas Golden Knights were having a December to remember.
A 10-1-0 record over the last 31 days boosted the Golden Knights to the top of the league standings and a six-point gap for the No. 1 spot in the Pacific Division.
The Golden Knights were playing some of the best hockey this season, even missing a first-line forward, Ivan Barbashev, for most of those games.
However, Vegas’ December ended the same way November did: with a loss.
The Canadiens, who have now won six of their last seven, scored three unanswered goals for a 3-2 win and snapped the Golden Knights’ six-game win streak.
“I know when I watch that, I’m going to be pissed,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Those are points we should have. We’re a better team than that, but they’re (points) gone.”
Unlike the last six games, the Golden Knights felt like they didn’t find their game quick enough, and Montreal capitalized on every mistake Vegas made.
The Golden Knights gave away the puck 23 times, and Shea Theodore turned it over on all three of the Canadiens’ goals.
“They (Montreal) earn those plays, but they all started on our stick,” Cassidy said. “That’s what I’m saying, that they did a good job with that. We didn’t do a good enough job taking care of the puck or executing.”
According to Cassidy, the Golden Knights didn’t play competently after taking a 2-0 lead in the first period, and the team didn’t push hard enough when it needed to.
Vegas’ best opportunities in the third period came almost out of desperation, pushing for the game-tying goal with the net empty.
“In that third period, we sat back a little bit too much,” defenseman Noah Hanifin said. “No matter what the score is, you’ve got to stay on your toes and attack. In that third, we kind of got away from that, which is not normal for us.”
Despite the loss, the Golden Knights still went 10-2-0 in December and are just two points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the top spot in the NHL. They will also be at T-Mobile Arena for five of their next six games.
Tuesday’s defeat dampened an otherwise successful month, yet the Golden Knights appear to remain stable.
“We sat back a little bit too much going into the third,” Zach Whitecloud said. “Typically, to our identity, we’re still playing on our toes and pushing the pace.”