Jon Merrill, typically a defenseman for the Vegas Golden Knights, played his first NHL game at forward on Thursday night—and it paid off in a big way.
Merrill, who had played all 343 of his NHL games on the blue line before this game, scored his first goal of the season as a forward in Vegas’ 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Max Pacioretty added two goals, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 34 saves to help Vegas maintain its hold on first place in the Pacific Division.
“Anytime I’m in the lineup, I’ll do whatever is needed—whether that’s forward, goalie, defense, whatever,” Merrill said. He stepped in as a forward after Jonathan Marchessault was scratched from the lineup. “I caught myself skating backward a few times, out of position. But we’re all hockey players, and your instincts take over when you’re out there having fun.”
The Golden Knights have been on fire, going 14-6-3 since Nov. 17, and now lead the NHL in that stretch with 31 points. Vegas remains in first place in the Pacific Division with 52 points, two ahead of Arizona.
Shea Theodore and Cody Glass also scored for Vegas, while Fleury, who has extensive experience playing against the Flyers from his Pittsburgh days, earned his 30th career win against Philadelphia.
“As a goalie, it’s not ideal to have so many goals scored on both sides,” Fleury said. “But you try to forget about them, stop the next one, and keep your team in the game. It’s a great feeling when you win these tough battles.”
Fleury has won his last three starts after a rocky stretch, including a 3.26 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage.
Meanwhile, Pacioretty continued his stellar season, making his case for an All-Star appearance. He leads the team with 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) and has recorded at least one point in 11 of the last 12 games.
On the defensive side, the Golden Knights penalty kill has been rock solid, going 9-for-10 in the last three games. This included killing a crucial late Flyers power play, which became a 6-on-3 advantage when Philadelphia pulled its goalie.
“The guys on the ice did an incredible job,” said Vegas coach Gerard Gallant. “They blocked shots and paid the price to win the game.”
Sean Couturier scored twice for the Flyers, while Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny each added a goal. Philadelphia has now played four games on its six-game road trip, all against Pacific Division teams.
“We dominated the first couple of shifts but then let them back in,” Konecny said. “We were just looking for offense to get ourselves back in it.”
In his first start against Vegas, Flyers goalie Carter Hart made 28 saves. The young netminder has had a tough time on the road, with a 7-12-1 record away from home.
The first period was one of the most entertaining of the season for Vegas, featuring six goals, 30 shots, and 30 hits. The highlight was Merrill’s goal, where he fell to his knees before gathering a rebound and pulling off a slick forehand-to-backhand move to beat Hart.
Pacioretty scored twice in the first period, with Theodore also finding the back of the net as Vegas took a 4-2 lead.
Couturier and Glass traded goals in the second period, keeping Vegas up by two. Couturier added another in the third, cutting the lead to 5-4, but Fleury made several clutch saves late in the game to preserve the win, including a brilliant glove save on Giroux.
Game Notes:
- Vegas’ Mark Stone is the only NHL player with at least 50 takeaways and 30 points this season.
- Claude Giroux extended his point streak to five games (two goals, three assists).
- Jonathan Marchessault missed his first game of the season.
- Dodgers players Justin Turner and Orel Hershiser were in attendance.
Up Next:
- Flyers: Visit the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday.
- Golden Knights: Host the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
