Golden Knights recall dramatic win over Lightning last season

The Golden Knights’ inaugural season was full of dramatic moments, magical memories and historic achievements.

Perhaps no single play in the regular season was wilder or more significant than Shea Theodore’s goal to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning with three seconds remaining on a December night at T-Mobile Arena.

“I think hands down scoring a game-winner with only a couple seconds left has to rank up there for me,” Theodore said Thursday after practice. “I remember there was a battle for the puck in the corner. I was just kind of waiting at the top of the circles on the other side. I took a quick glance at the clock. I knew it was winding down. The pass came across, and I knew I only had a couple of seconds left, so I just tried to get it off. The fact the puck popped out to me like it did was perfect.”

It was the kind of dramatic victory over the top team at that point in the season that put the NHL on notice. The Knights were a stunning front-runner in the Pacific Division and entered that game tied with Nashville for the top spot in the Western Conference, but there still was skepticism.

The Lightning led 2-0 after one period. But the Knights took the lead early in the third period before the Lightning tied the score, setting the stage for Theodore’s heroics in the 4-3 victory.

“That was huge,” said forward Erik Haula, who had a goal and an assist. “That was a wild game, it was a wild night. The fans were going crazy. I think it was a steppingstone for us, in a way. Being able to battle back, battle forward and keep playing and eventually beating a good team. That really boosted our confidence.”

The Knights then defeated the Capitals, Ducks, Kings, Leafs and Predators — all playoff teams — in succession to extend their winning streak to a season-high eight games and give them a cushion in the division that they never would relinquish.

The situation is slightly different for the Knights entering Friday’s 3 p.m. game against the Lightning at T-Mobile Arena.

While Tampa Bay is again off to a great start at 6-1-1, the Knights are looking for consistency after having a three-game winning streak snapped in a home shootout loss to Vancouver on Wednesday in a game in which Vegas coach Gerard Gallant expressed disappointment at his team’s effort in the first two periods.

“It’s definitely a big test for us,” said center Jonathan Marchessault, who had a goal and two assists in the Lightning game. “We need to get back on track and collect some wins. We had a good stretch there, but yesterday was definitely not our game.

“It was definitely a big game last year, but they’re arguably the best team on paper again. We definitely need to be ready and embrace a challenge like that.”

Gallant hates talking about last season because he has tried so hard to get his team to turn the page, but even he acknowledged last year’s game was “outstanding.”

He’s more concerned with this year’s matchup.

“They’re a top team,” he said. “They’re a favorite for the Stanley Cup again this year, and we’re going to have to play a great game. They’ve got a lot of offense, a lot of talent, great goaltending. They’ve got everything you need from a hockey club.”

Theodore, who also had three assists in the win last season, is embracing the challenge.

“It was a good game, definitely one of my highlights throughout the course of last year,” he said. “It was a good test for us, but again this year I feel like we’re both good teams. We’ve gotten off to a slower start, but as a team we feel good. This could definitely be a kick-start going forward.”

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Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.