The Hawks have struggled greatly in third periods against the Golden Knights so far. They lost control of Game 1 in the final frame, then saw their comeback momentum turned in the third period of Game 2 while en route to an overtime defeat.
Defenseman Slater Koekkoek offered a fascinating — and slightly amusing — analysis Friday of why that has happened.
“I was talking earlier today to another guy on the team [about this],” Koekkoek said. “They force you to be so disciplined throughout first two periods. We were good last night, playing our game.”
“Then [Vegas] makes you want to get out of your structure to try to create offense, and that’s where they get you. Once you start cheating on the wrong side or try to create offense, that’s when they capitalize on you. That could be why they’re such a good third-period team.”
With the Hawks needing at least one win — ideally two — in this weekend’s Game 3 and Game 4 back-to-back, they’ll try to avoid the Knights’ temptations and stick to their game plan for all 120 minutes.
Coach Jeremy Colliton has advised his team not to even think about Game 4, though, despite its start time scheduled just 22 hours after Game 3.
“It’s [about] focusing on the next shift, focusing on what’s right in front of you,” Colliton said Friday. “We’re certainly not going to look ahead to Game 4. It’s our biggest game right here, and that’s the one we’ve got to focus on. We’ll be ready for puck drop.”
Boqvist likely back
Rookie defenseman Adam Boqvist — a surprising healthy scratch in Game 2 on Thursday — will likely return to the Hawks’ lineup for Game 3, based on Colliton’s comments Friday.
“He’s a young player [and] it’s a high level — we’re asking a lot out of him,” Colliton said. “But we think he can bring just his puck plays and his ability to break us out clean and...the things he can do on the offensive line just provide a little bit different dimension.”
“He got a rest and he’ll have the opportunity to come back. We’ll figure out the lineup tomorrow, but I think he can help us.”
