The Vegas Golden Knights gained a bit of redemption after their controversial playoff loss to the San Jose Sharks five months ago. Tomas Nosek netted two goals and added an assist, while Marc-Andre Fleury made 34 saves as Vegas cruised to a 5-1 victory over San Jose on Friday night.
“It doesn’t change what happened in the playoffs, but we had all summer to think about it,” Fleury said, referring to Vegas’ heartbreaking loss in Game 7 of the first round last season, where the team gave up a three-goal lead after a pivotal five-minute major penalty on Cody Eakin.
The Golden Knights, who swept their season-opening home-and-home series against the Sharks, improved to 7-1-2 against San Jose in regular-season matchups.
“It’s a great rivalry,” said Vegas coach Gerard Gallant. “We fought hard, and it’s good to come out on top in these first two games.”
Nosek and Brayden McNabb added two goals in just 90 seconds during the second period to break open what had been a 2-0 game.
Vegas jumped ahead early when William Carrier found the back of the net just over five minutes into the first period. The Golden Knights extended their lead in the second when Shea Theodore intercepted an errant pass from Sharks defenseman Brent Burns, firing a shot that Jonathan Marchessault deflected to make it 2-0.
McNabb then tallied a short-handed goal with just under five minutes left in the second period, and 88 seconds later, Nosek made it 4-0. Nosek sealed the victory with his second goal—also short-handed—midway through the third period.
“It feels great,” Nosek said. “I’ve never had a three-point game in the NHL, so I’m happy we won, and I’m happy to contribute.”
The Golden Knights scored multiple short-handed goals for the first time in franchise history.
Barclay Goodrow scored a late goal for San Jose, whose struggles in home openers continued. The Sharks have now lost three straight home openers and are 12-14-2 overall in such games.
San Jose goalie Martin Jones stopped 19 shots but gave up four goals over two periods before being replaced by Aaron Dell, who made five saves in the third.
“We faced a very strong team—maybe the best in the West—right from the start, and they showed us how we need to play,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. “We have a lot of work to do.”
The Golden Knights now have three short-handed goals in their first two games, matching nearly a third of last season’s total of 11. Meanwhile, the Sharks were 0-for-5 on the power play and have failed to score on 10 opportunities so far this season.
“For me, the power play isn’t the biggest issue right now,” DeBoer said. “We need four lines that can apply pressure on the other team.”
Game Notes
Vegas defenseman Nate Schmidt is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered in the season opener. Cody Eakin is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Fleury played his 800th career game. Nicolas Hague made his NHL debut. Fleury is one shutout away from tying for 20th all-time with 57. Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson returned to the lineup after missing the season opener for personal reasons. Forward Evander Kane served the second game of a three-game suspension.
UP NEXT
- Sharks: Visit Anaheim on Saturday night.
- Golden Knights: Host the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.