It wasn’t the homecoming Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy wanted. After the Golden Knights got on the right side of the ledger with a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, they were right back in the red against Cassidy’s former team, the Boston Bruins. A pair of comebacks were not enough as the Golden Knights never got the lead.
Boston center Morgan Geekie notched his first career hat trick, but rookie Mason Lohrei netted the game-winner with less than five minutes remaining. It was a power-play goal, and Boston beat the Golden Knights, 5-4, at TD Garden Thursday.
“I thought it would be close, but not 5-4,” said Cassidy.
Colleague Jimmy Murphy from Boston Hockey Now, who covered the game, called the VGK effort “sloppy but resilient. They could have folded but fought back and almost forced overtime.”
The loss in regulation overshadowed both the Golden Knights’ problematic play early but also their comeback from down 3-0 in the first period. Paul Cotter got the Golden Knights moving in the right direction. Cotter (7) swatted the puck out of mid-air from the right circle past Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman at 1:57 of the second period.
A few minutes later, Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo pulled the Golden Knights to within 3-2. Jonathan Marchessault got behind the Boston defense. but Swayman made the initial save. Pietrangelo (4) got not one, not two, but three whacks at the rebound, eventually hitting twine.
Must Read (Boston Hockey Now): Bruins Avoid OT, Beat Golden Knights 5-4.
However, Morgan Geekie finished the hat trick to give Boston another two-goal lead.
Michael Amadio (11) and Chandler Stephenson (13) helped the Golden Knights rally with a late second period, and early third period goal, respectively.
The game turned when Sheldon Rempal tripped Jesper Boqvist and the Bruins broke the tie. The Golden Knights had their own late third period power play but failed to convert.
Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill stopped 27 of 32 shots. Swayman grabbed 32 of 36. Pietrangelo and Bruins’ forward Brad Marchand led all players with five shots on goal.
The Golden Knights finish their lengthy East Coast roadie with a tilt Saturday against the struggling Buffalo Sabres at Key Bank Arena, followed by a date with the hapless Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday at Nationwide Arena. Both games are at 4 p.m. PT.
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