LAS VEGAS — Vegas turned another fast start into another six-goal night Saturday, skating away from the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-2 at T-Mobile Arena behind a three-point first period from captain Mark Stone.
Key takeaways
- The Golden Knights improved to 8-2-0 and have taken seven of their last eight games.
- Vegas has scored 17 times during its current three-game winning streak, including six goals in each of its past two outings.
- Stone posted a goal and two assists, while Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner each supplied two assists.
- Trevor Connelly scored his fourth goal, moving atop the NHL rookie goal list, and added an assist.
- Adin Hill stopped 22 shots for Vegas; Penguins rookie Sergei Murashov made 14 saves.
- Pittsburgh has dropped three straight and fell to 3-5-1 despite goals from Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
Vegas buries Pittsburgh with first-period rushes
The Golden Knights came out with their feet moving and their defense joining the attack, building a 3-0 cushion before the first intermission.
Rasmus Andersson opened the scoring 1:06 into the game. Eichel found him driving from the right side, and Andersson beat Murashov with a snap shot. Noah Hanifin doubled the edge at 4:02 after Eichel carried through the neutral zone and slipped a pass across to the weak side for the finish.
Stone then capped the period on the power play at 17:46. Connelly fired toward the net and Stone redirected the puck with his skate. Video review confirmed the goal. It gave Stone back-to-back three-point periods after his natural third-period hat trick in Thursday’s 6-2 win over the Calgary Flames.
Vegas coach Ryan Craig pointed to the timing of the club’s rush support, particularly the way players arrive beneath the puck while a net-front presence or middle-lane drive forces defenders into difficult choices. Eichel said the club’s early leads, transition execution and contributions from the blue line have all been clicking.
“We’re getting pucks to the net and making plays,” Eichel said. “The defensemen are getting involved.”
Pittsburgh coach Dan Muse said the Penguins cannot retreat into frustration after another difficult result. He said the group must collectively dig in and address structural issues that surfaced throughout the night.
Connelly keeps rolling as veterans add milestones
Crosby gave Pittsburgh a brief push at 5:54 of the second period, tipping Tommy Novak’s power-play shot past Hill to make it 3-1. But Vegas answered 1:11 later when Connelly broke in on the rush and roofed a shot over Murashov.
Andersson praised the young forward’s ability to battle, locate open ice and capitalize when chances arrive. Connelly now leads all NHL rookies with four goals.
Shea Theodore restored Vegas’ four-goal margin at 11:17 of the second, hammering a one-timer off a Brayden McNabb pass. Malkin later pushed a loose puck over the line with Hill out of position, cutting the deficit to 5-2 at 4:43 of the third.
Brett Howden closed the scoring at 17:47. He was awarded an empty-net goal after being brought down while on a breakaway.
Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson said the 3-0 first-period deficit was especially damaging against a club with Vegas’ skill and puck management. Murashov said the Golden Knights were selective rather than simply firing pucks at the net, consistently looking for premium chances.
The night also marked Eichel’s 700th NHL game. Marner extended his point streak to six games, collecting his ninth point in that span; he has one goal and eight assists during the streak.
