'It's just sloppy play right now': Knights defenseless again in loss to Blues

Danny Webster, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Oct 22, 2026

Published in Hockey

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The Vegas Golden Knights hoped they would hit the road and put Tuesday’s rough showing behind them.

Only it was more of the same in the Knights’ 6-2 loss to the host St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on Thursday, suffering consecutive losses for the first time this season.

Brett Howden scored for the fourth time in five games, and Jack Eichel scored early in the third period to cut the St. Louis lead to one.

But the Blues answered with two goals in 2:08 from Jimmy Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway to end any hopes of a comeback bid.

Goaltender Adin Hill finished with 24 saves and was handed his first loss of the season in five starts.

The Knights (8-4-0) gave up six goals for the second straight game and lost by the same score they did Tuesday at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Their past four games have been decided by the same score.

Asked if it was concerning, Eichel was blunt.

“Yeah, a little bit,” he said. “I feel like it’s just sloppy play right now on our own part.”

Coach Ryan Craig said the Knights “didn’t help themselves,” the same phrase used to describe the poor puck management against Tampa.

“That’s two games in a row of putting ourselves in some tough situations,” Craig said. “That’s going to happen in a game, but we can’t be a little bit hesitant and in between when you’re trying to recover.”

Forward Alexander Holtz had an assist in his season debut with the Knights. Holtz was recalled from Henderson of the American Hockey League on Wednesday and replaced Mitch Marner in the lineup.

Marner missed his first game of the season with his wife, Stephanie, due to give birth to their second child.

Much of what plagued the Knights on Tuesday hurt them Thursday.

Turnovers were again an issue, leading to dangerous chances for the young St. Louis team.

Hill was up to task with multiple point-blank saves to allow time for his teammates to get going the other way.

The Blues (5-4-1) broke through twice in the first period with goals from forward Pavel Buchnevich and defenseman Justin Barron 3:49 apart to take a 2-0 lead.

Buchnevich’s goal marked the fourth straight game the Knights have given up a power-play goal.

“Our kill has got to be way better,” defenseman Brayden McNabb said.

The Blues had a response each time the Knights got close.

Howden put the Knights on the board with a rebound finish at 5:38 to cut the lead to 2-1.

Blues forward Mason McTavish responded with a deflection off a faceoff 2:52 later and restored the lead.

“Every time we scored, they scored,” Eichel said. “Sometimes on a night like that where you’re fighting the puck, it’s beneficial to be more simple, get pucks deep and get our forecheck going. At times we did in the second, but over the course of 60 (minutes), it wasn’t good enough.”

Eichel made it 3-2 at 4:08 of the third period, but Snuggerud answered 4:13 later.

Holloway added his second goal on the power play with 3:55 to go.

Barron added three assists for the first four-point game of his career.

“We’ll look at it and get better,” McNabb said. “A humbling last couple of games, so we’ve got to be better.”

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