Game One: Ducks 8, Coyotes 4
With a perfect record in the tournament on the line, the Anaheim Ducks met the Arizona Coyotes for their final game of the Vegas Rookie Faceoff. For the first time all tournament, Anaheim found the back of the net in the opening period. Max Comtois, Alex Dostie and Kyle Olson chipped in to give the Ducks a 3-0 lead after one frame. Olson picked up right where he left off in the second period and tucked in another goal at the one-minute mark. The Coyotes finally answered when Jeremy McKenna made it 4-1, but the Ducks kept coming. Julius Nattinen made the game 5-1 before Olson netted his hat-trick goal. Just before the period's end, Brayden Burke gave Arizona something to take into the locker room when he gave them their second goal. The Coyotes made things interesting with two quick goals from McKenna and Tyler Steenbergen to cut the Anaheim lead to 6-4. But Sam Steel and Comtois added two more onto the Ducks side of the scoreboard to lock down an 8-4 victory. Anaheim finishes the tournament with the only 3-0 record among the six teams while the Coyotes wrap up at 1-2.
Rookie Faceoff Roundup: Day Three
Game Two: Avalanche 6, Sharks 3
The Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks were on opposite ends of the success spectrum heading into their final tilt in the Rookie Faceoff. The Sharks went 2-0 over the weekend while the Avalanche went without a win. In hopes of changing that tune, Colorado netted the first goal thanks to Nolan De Jong. Just more than four minutes later, Cody Donaghey tied the game for San Jose, but Vladislav Kamenev's goal put the Avs up 2-1 after one. Jake Gricius potted the only goal of the second period to set up an important third period with the score tied 2-2. Tim McGauley broke the tie for Colorado at the 11:39 mark before Brandon Saigeon scored back-to-back goals to give the Avalanche a 5-2 lead. Matt Fonteyne gave the Sharks hopes of a comeback with a late goal, but Martin Kaut iced the game with an empty net goal. The Avalanche wrap up the Vegas Rookie Faceoff with a 1-2 record while the Sharks wind up at 2-1.
Game Three: Golden Knights 7, Kings 2
In the last game of the Vegas Rookie Faceoff, the Golden Knights sent their fans home happy with a 7-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings.
Gage Quinney scored the eventual game-winner in the second period and finished the game with three points (1G, 2A). He scored at least one goal in every game of the Rookie Faceoff and wound up with a total of three goals and four assists."I think it was a fun tournament," Quinney said. "I think I was just lucky to have good linemates, that really helps."
His linemates, Keegan Kolesar and Cody Glass, powered the Golden Knights to the five-goal victory as they combined for five goals and four assists. Glass (2G), who went without a goal in the previous two games, found himself in the right place at the right time twice Tuesday to give him some confidence as NHL camp opens up.
"Cody has been playing extremely hard," said Chicago Wolves Head Coach Rocky Thompson. "Tonight was a night that he started separating himself and I think he started feeling good about the game."
The pace of the opening period wasn't up to Thompson's standards, but Vegas and L.A. were tied at 1-1 after 20 minutes. The final few minutes of the period saw the Golden Knights take control of the game's tempo and not let go.
"As a team, we didn't play very good in the first 16 minutes, and then everything kind of flipped," Thompson said.
Glass deposited his first goal of the tournament at the 3:58 mark of the second period to give Vegas a lead they wouldn't surrender. Quinney and Lucas Elvenes added goals in the middle frame to give Vegas a 4-1 lead after two periods. The Golden Knights ran away with the game when Glass and Kolesar scored 24 seconds apart in the third period to make it 6-1. A late goal from Kyle Bauman gave the Kings a breath of life, but Matthew Weis put the game to bed with 16 seconds left to clinch the 7-2 win.
Thompson was equally as impressed with his high-scorers as he was the role players on the team.
"I really liked our fourth line tonight, with Harvey-Pinard, Leschyshyn and Chyzowski," Thompson said. "That was a really strong line for us tonight, they were workhorses."
The Golden Knights conclude the Vegas Rookie Faceoff with a 2-1 record and a goal differential of plus-five. The Kings end the tournament at 0-3.
