Reilly Smith scored twice, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 31 saves to help the Vegas Golden Knights defeat the Florida Panthers 5-3 on Saturday night, extending their win streak to five games.
The victory capped off a perfect 5-0-0 homestand for the Golden Knights, propelling them to the top of the Pacific Division. They now lead Vancouver by two points and Edmonton by three, though both teams have games in hand. Vegas still has crucial matchups remaining against both clubs.
“Every night, someone different is stepping up, and that’s been key to this homestand and getting wins,” said Smith, whose empty-netter late in the third period was his career-high tying 25th goal. “When all four lines are rolling, we’re a tough team to beat.”
William Carrier, Max Pacioretty, and Tomas Nosek (with a goal and an assist) also contributed to Vegas’s scoring, with 10 different players registering points.
Vegas has improved to 9-3-2 under new coach Peter DeBoer, who replaced Gerard Gallant on January 15. The team’s current five-game win streak is its longest of the season.
Under DeBoer, the Golden Knights’ performance metrics have surged. Since DeBoer’s first game on January 16, they have ranked first in shots per game (36.4), second in shots allowed (27.3), second in goals per game (3.64), and fifth in points.
One key change has been their ability to stay composed when falling behind. Before DeBoer took over, Vegas’s win percentage after allowing the first goal was just .296 (8-14-5). Since his arrival, that win percentage has improved to .500 (3-2-1).
“It’s about building confidence in your group, and the only way to do that is through success,” DeBoer said. “Even when we fall behind, there’s been a calmness to the group, and they know we can get back into games quickly.”
On the other hand, the Panthers are now four points out of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot after going 3-7-0 in their last 10 games.
“They outskated and outworked us,” said Florida captain Aleksander Barkov. “You need a full 60-minute effort, and we couldn’t match their work ethic.”
Mike Hoffman, Evgenii Dadonov, and Aleksi Saarela scored for Florida, while Sam Montembeault, making his 24th career start, made 34 saves.
Florida took an early lead when Hoffman knocked in a rebound just 3:28 into the game. However, Nosek tied it midway through the first with a shot that slipped under Montembeault’s pads.
Dadonov briefly put the Panthers back in front with his 25th goal just 42 seconds into the second period. But Vegas responded with goals from Carrier and Pacioretty to take a 3-2 lead by the end of the second.
Smith extended the lead 19 seconds into the third with his 24th goal of the season. Though Saarela cut the deficit with a goal later in the period, Smith sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final minutes.
Game Notes:
- Alec Martinez is one game away from playing in his 600th career game.
- Las Vegas native Gage Quinney made history as the first Nevada-born player to play in an NHL game, debuting in the starting lineup.
- Shea Theodore’s assist on Pacioretty’s goal brought his season total to 41 points, tying the franchise record for points by a defenseman.
Up Next:
- Florida: Visits Arizona on Tuesday.
- Vegas: Visits Anaheim on Sunday.
