Vegas Is On Fire Under Tortorella and Nobody in the Pacific Can Keep Up

The Vegas Golden Knights are rolling right now, and they just proved it again by taking down the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cole Smith's third period goal was the difference maker, extending Vegas' winning streak to four straight games. This team is playing a different kind of hockey under new coach John Tortorella, who took over March 31 after Bruce Cassidy got fired, and the results are impossible to ignore.

Four Wins, 17 Goals, and a Stranglehold on the Pacific

Here is what is wild about what Tortorella has done so far: in four games, the Golden Knights have put up 17 goals. Seventeen. That kind of offensive output is not something you see every night, especially when you are trying to climb back into contention. Vegas is now tied with the Edmonton Oilers for first place in the Pacific Division with 88 points. The team looks completely different than it did under the previous regime.

The Canucks Put Up a Fight, But Vegas Had an Answer

The Canucks came out swinging Tuesday night. Max Sasson got them on the board first with a wrist shot that beat Carter Hart at the 12:50 mark of the second period for his 13th goal of the season. Vancouver looked like they might steal this one, but Brayden McNabb answered back less than three minutes later, firing a shot through traffic to tie it at 1. Then Smith struck in the third, and that was all Vegas needed.

Vancouver had one last desperate chance when they pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with under two minutes left after a Vegas defenseman was called for interference. The Canucks could not capitalize. Hart was solid between the pipes for Vegas, stopping 10 of the 11 shots he faced. Nikita Tolopilo made 26 saves for Vancouver but it was not enough.

Vegas Is Dominating This Matchup

This was the third meeting between these teams this season, and Vegas swept the entire series. The Golden Knights beat Vancouver 5-2 back on February 4 and then won 4-2 on March 30 in Vegas. That kind of dominance over a division opponent tells you everything you need to know about where this team is heading right now.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.