3 takeaways: Golden Knights finish trip with OT loss to Canadiens

You would be hard-pressed to see Ben Hutton dejected, even after a loss.

After the Vegas Golden Knights controlled play for a majority of the game Tuesday and still found a way to lose, the defenseman looked to be in disbelief.

“It could’ve went either way tonight,” an exhausted Hutton said.

While the Knights responded the way they were expected after their worst loss of the season, they failed to get the second point in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre.

Pavel Dorofeyev scored both goals, including the game-tying one with 3:08 remaining on a deflection from Hutton’s point shot.

The Knights (25-14-13) outshot the Canadiens 13-3 in the third period while searching for the tying goal.

But Montreal winger Jake Evans took the puck through the neutral zone with speed, got around a tired Tomas Hertl and finished with the backhand with 1:02 remaining in overtime.

Goaltender Akira Schmid had a valiant effort of 23 saves, including some big-time stops to keep the game close, but the Knights ended their road trip 1-2-1 and lost for the fourth time in five games.

“We were down going into the third, and we’ve done a good job this year getting ourselves back in the game,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We’re never out of it, so that’s a positive.”

Here are three takeaways from the loss:

1. Much better start

The Knights had a spirited practice Monday after an abysmal 7-1 showing in Ottawa on Sunday, where they let a 1-0 deficit balloon in the final two periods.

That seemed to pay off. The Knights got off to a spirited start by controlling play with their forecheck.

It paid off with Dorofeyev forcing a turnover at the defensive blue line, taking it himself down the left side and beating Montreal goalie Jakub Dobes glove side at 8:38.

“We were on time tonight,” Dorofeyev said.

Dorofeyev, now with a team-high 24 goals and a second straight 40-point season, has eight goals in his past nine games.

“I’m not trying to focus on it too much,” Dorofeyev said. “It’s just the way it is. Sometimes you’re hot, sometimes you’re cold. It’s just hockey.”

2. Montreal’s speed takes over

The Canadiens (29-17-7) got to their game after Dorofeyev’s first goal and took over with their speed in the second period.

Schmid more than did his part with big-time saves, including two on Montreal’s leading goal scorer, Cole Caufield.

Caufield appeared to score on the power play when his stick shattered on a one-timer that still found its way past Schmid, but Montreal was offside almost a minute before to take the goal off the board.

Montreal scored for real at 4:24 on a deflection from center Phillip Danault to tie the game.

Caufield got on the board 4:31 later — seconds after Schmid robbed him with a glove save — for a 2-1 Montreal lead.

Cassidy pointed to the odd-man rushes the Knights gave up as to what got away from them in the second period.

“If you’re going to pinch, you’ve got to go with a purpose and keep your share of pucks alive,” he said. “I think it opened up the ice for them in the second period.”