LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights shook off a brutal opening eight minutes, erased a three-goal deficit and outlasted the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in a shootout Thursday at T-Mobile Arena.
Jack Eichel supplied the turning-point goal on a penalty shot and added an assist as Vegas improved to 4-1-0 with its third straight win. Adin Hill stopped 21 shots in regulation and overtime, then turned away four more attempts in the shootout.
Vegas climbs out of an early hole
- Toronto struck 36 seconds after the opening faceoff. Jack Roslovic worked below the Vegas net and banked the puck off Hill’s pad to make it 1-0.
- Easton Cowan made it a two-goal game at 3:20 of the first period, getting behind the defense after a Sergei Bobrovsky save and snapping a wrist shot high on a breakaway.
- Nick Paul extended the Maple Leafs’ lead to 3-0 at 8:37, redirecting Darren Raddysh’s point one-timer.
- Mark Stone finally put Vegas on the board at 17:37. His slap shot sailed over Bobrovsky’s glove to cut the deficit to 3-1 before intermission.
- Brett Howden brought the Golden Knights within one just 1:12 into the second period, driving to the far post and converting a pass from Mitch Marner.
- Eichel completed the rally at 4:58. Morgan Rielly was called for tripping Eichel on a breakaway, and Eichel beat Bobrovsky on the ensuing penalty shot for the 3-3 tie.
The goal kept Eichel’s season-opening scoring streak alive through five games. He has three goals and nine assists over that stretch.
Shootout settles a busy night
Neither club found a winner after Vegas’ second-period comeback, sending the game to the skills competition. Braeden Bowman and Trevor Connelly scored for the Golden Knights in the shootout, while Hill shut down four Toronto tries.
Roslovic, Cowan and Paul accounted for the Maple Leafs’ regulation scoring. Auston Matthews and Gavin McKenna each recorded an assist in Toronto’s first road game of the season.
Bobrovsky faced heavy traffic after the first-period surge and finished with 40 saves, but Vegas’ pressure and late poise carried the Golden Knights through a comeback that had looked unlikely in the opening minutes.
