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Alex Tuch and Shea Theodore have followed a similar trajectory to their roles with the Golden Knights.
Both were prospects traded to Vegas at the expansion draft so their old clubs could keep other players. Both started the inaugural season in the AHL. Both signed seven-year contracts a year later.
There they were Thursday night, sitting side-by-side at a podium in Edmonton, foundational pieces of the Golden Knights present and future. Their paths converged again moments earlier, when both scored two goals and helped the Golden Knights to a 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference round-robin.
“There were a few mistakes there they were to capitalize on, but we didn’t hang our heads on it,” Tuch said. “We kept pushing, kept getting pucks to the net, kept playing our game and I think it resulted in a win tonight.”
Tuch had a game-high three points, including a pair of goals that were nearly identical. He collected the puck just outside the crease, but instead of trying to score on the first touch, he advanced and snuck the puck past Jordan Binnington. He later added an assist.
Theodore’s first goal came from the top of the circle, as he weaved through traffic and beat Binnington clean for the first Vegas goal. He bookended the Golden Knights’ scoring with 5:11 left in regulation, letting one go from the blue line to add a late insurance goal and put the game away.
“Sometimes that’s all it takes — when you’re the guy up top and it comes to you, you just have to get it by one set of shin pads and hope for some bounces here and there,” Theodore said. “I got one tonight.”
The victory was a few things for the Golden Knights. Most urgently, it secured a top-two seed in the Western Conference playoffs, with their final spot to be decided in a showdown against the Avalanche on Saturday.
It was the first time the Golden Knights had ever beaten the Blues in regulation, and their fifth win in 10 tries overall. It was also the third time in the last three meetings the Golden Knights had overcome a multiple-goal deficit against St. Louis, and it was the first time all year the Blues lost in regulation after leading through two periods.
There were three lead changes and six goals in the second period, three of which came within less than a minute. Eighteen players registered a point; six recorded at least two.
“When they got guys scoring like that, we have to have everyone scoring as well,” Tuch said. “I think it was a little bit too back-and-forth at times with the chances, but I don’t know, we were able to close it up.”
In Monday’s game against the Stars, the Golden Knights needed a third-period rally to win. Unlike that game, tonight’s was domination by Vegas, with a few breakdowns that led to St. Louis goals.
The Golden Knights dominated the game in every way but the scoreboard. The 17 shots on goal allowed were the fewest in franchise postseason history, and the 71.2% share of expected goals was the second-best for any postseason game.
A few turnovers and some untimely goaltending made the game closer than the score would suggest, when it was a Vegas clinic on puck possession and curb-stomping the defending champs.
“Two totally different wins in the third period,” coach Peter DeBoer said. “Last game I thought we didn’t start to play until the third period. This was one’s a little more enjoyable from a coaching point of view.”
Five of the six defensemen had a point Thursday and the one who didn’t, Alec Martinez, dented the crossbar twice. That included Theodore’s two goals, but also Zach Whitecloud’s first-career tally to tie it, making him the first player in Vegas history to score his first goal in the playoffs.
“It’s definitely fun to contribute and obviously in a time like that,” Whitecloud said. “It’s definitely exciting and enjoy the moment but get back to work right away.”
Tuch’s night meanwhile, was the second time in his career he scored twice in the postseason. It’s also the start of what could be a breakout playoff for the 24-year-old, who already in two games has already surpassed his goals and points output from last year’s postseason.
He had a rough regular season, dealing with injuries and mustered just 17 points and missed 29 games. DeBoer said before the playoffs that he could be an X-factor on the third line, and that if he has a good postseason, no one will remember the regular season.
“It’s an honor to be called that but not really worried about being the X-factor,” Tuch said. “I’m just trying to go in and work as hard as I can every game and be a difference-maker every shift.”
Tuch was tremendous Thursday night. Theodore too. And as the two twenty-somethings sat a podium and answered questions following two-goal games, it’s a reminder in what the Golden Knights have both now, and for years to come.
Justin Emerson can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Justin on Twitter at twitter.com/@j15emerson.
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