36 saves for Stalock, but Blackhawks shut out by Golden Knights
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Paul Cotter scored his first career goal and Logan Thompson stopped 27 shots as the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Chicago Blackhawks 1-0 Thursday night.
The victory marked the fourth time in Vegas' first six seasons in the NHL it opened 2-0-0, while Chicago (0-2-0) has now lost its first two games in four straight seasons.
Thompson, making just his 22nd NHL appearance, got his second career shutout. It was his third time facing the Blackhawks and he improved to 2-0-1 against them.
Alex Stalock was excellent in net for Chicago, finishing with 36 saves in his first start of the season.
Both goalies were stellar on the penalty kill, each making six saves in power-play situations. Chicago was 0 for 2 with the man advantage while Vegas was 0 for 3.
The Blackhawks didn't look like a team playing the second of back-to-back nights after opening their season in Denver on Wednesday. They played the high-flying Golden Knights rather evenly, outshooting Vegas 10-9 in the first period.
Chicago's aggressiveness on the forecheck allowed the Blackhawks to disrupt any Knights' attempt to move in transition during the opening period.
Vegas, which won its season-opener Tuesday in Los Angeles, got stellar play from Thompson, who came up with timely saves near the end of the first during a penalty-kill, preserving a scoreless game.
Vegas struck first when a rested Cotter came out of the box moments after the Golden Knights killed a penalty, broke into the zone on a 2-on-1 and opted to wrist the shot on his own past Stalock short side at 8:44 of the second.
It was the fourth 2-on-1 for Vegas in the period, with Cotter finally breaking through for the Knights with his first NHL goal.
Vegas finished the second outshooting Chicago 18-8 and then had a 10-9 advantage in the thhird.
NOTES: Both coaches — Vegas' Bruce Cassidy and Chicago's Luke Richardson — are in their first season with their respective clubs. ... Vegas veteran Phil Kessel continued his path toward the league's Iron Man mark, having appeared in 984 consecutive games, the longest active streak and five away from tying Keith Yandle's all-time record of 989. ... Vegas D Zach Whitecloud earned his first assist of the season on Cotter's goal.
UP NEXT
Blackhawks: At San Jose on Saturday.
Golden Knights: At Seattle on Saturday.