Former Golden Knights forward Erik Haula received an emotional standing ovation from the crowd at T-Mobile Arena after a tribute video played, recognizing his time with Vegas. But once the moment passed, Haula shifted focus to the task.
Haula contributed a goal and an assist, while Andrei Svechnikov and Justin Williams scored in the shootout, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-5 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night.
“It felt good to get that reception from the fans. Vegas will always hold a special place in my heart,” Haula said.
Carolina overcame two separate two-goal deficits in the third period, scoring four times in the final frame to force overtime.
“Games can get wild, and sometimes a spark is all it takes,” said Haula, ending a nine-game point drought. “In the third period, we were a different team, and we played the way we wanted.”
Martin Necas, Teuvo Teravainen, Sebastian Aho, and Haydn Fleury also scored for the Hurricanes, while James Reimer made 31 saves, including 12 in the third period when the game’s pace dramatically picked up.
With Vegas leading 3-1, Aho struck first for the Hurricanes in the third period, slotting home a rebound to cut the deficit. Moments later, Chandler Stephenson scored shorthanded for Vegas to make it 4-2. However, Carolina roared back, scoring three unanswered goals, capped by Haula’s game-tying goal.
Cody Eakin tied the game for Vegas with his first goal since November, sending it to overtime.
Both teams had chances in the extra period. Svechnikov hit the crossbar, and Brett Pesce hit the post for Carolina. Reimer and Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury both made key saves, keeping the game level until the shootout.
Carolina, playing its third road game in five nights, rallied from a two-goal deficit for the second straight game. The Hurricanes also beat Arizona on Thursday, improving their wild-card playoff hopes. The win puts them just one point behind the New York Islanders for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
“There’s no quit in our team,” Aho said, who has now scored in five straight games. “We never stopped believing, and that confidence carried us through.”
The loss spoiled the home debut of Golden Knights coach Peter DeBoer, who had coached his first seven games on the road after being hired in mid-January. After an extended stretch of road games bookending the All-Star break, Vegas was also playing its first home game in nearly a month.
Max Pacioretty, Jon Merrill, and Shea Theodore also scored for Vegas, while Fleury made 29 saves.
The Golden Knights were undone by costly penalties in the third period. Carolina, ranked 12th in road power-play efficiency, converted both opportunities. Vegas, which boasts the NHL’s third-best home power play, went 0-for-2.
“It was a strange game,” DeBoer admitted. “We started strong, but didn’t manage the second and third periods well. Some turnovers and penalties hurt us; we were our worst enemy.”
Game Notes:
- Vegas center William Karlsson, out since January 14 with an upper-body injury, practiced with the team for the first time in a month. DeBoer said Karlsson is “getting close” and could return for Tuesday’s game depending on further evaluations.
- Carolina’s Teuvo Teravainen played his 300th career game with the Hurricanes.
- The Golden Knights will play nine of their next 11 games at home.
Up Next:
- Carolina: Visits Dallas on Tuesday.
- Vegas: Visits Minnesota on Tuesday.