Max Pacioretty scored his second goal of the game in overtime, leading the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-4 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Friday night. The win came after Vegas gave up a bizarre tying goal late in the third period.
Pacioretty netted the game-winner just 1:25 into overtime, converting off a pass from Alex Pietrangelo to beat Sharks goalie Devan Dubnyk. It was Pacioretty’s third overtime goal of the season and extended Vegas’ winning streak to five games.
“You have to be aggressive in 3-on-3 overtime,” Pacioretty said. “If you don’t take chances, you won’t create much, and you’ll end up stuck in your end.”
The Sharks tied the game in dramatic fashion with just 1:07 left in regulation. Brent Burns’ clearing attempt took a strange bounce toward Vegas goalie Oscar Dansk as Kevin Labanc charged in. Dansk tried to knock the puck away but failed to make clean contact, and it deflected off Labanc’s stick into the open net to tie the game.
“We told Oscar not to worry about it,” Pietrangelo said. “Things happen, mistakes happen, and it’s how you respond. I love seeing guys bounce back like that.”
The Golden Knights built an early 3-0 lead, forcing Sharks goalie Martin Jones out of the game in the second period. Vegas regained control after Alex Tuch scored 24 seconds into the third period, following a spirited fight between Vegas’ Ryan Reaves and San Jose’s Kurtis Gabriel.
San Jose came into the game holding a grudge from their previous meeting when Jonathan Marchessault delivered two hard hits that injured Sharks defenseman Radim Simek. The tension eventually led to the third-period fight, with Reaves getting the upper hand. However, Reaves later exited the game with a leg injury.
Shortly after the fight, Tuch scored his sixth goal in six games, giving Vegas a 4-2 lead. But the Sharks rallied back, earning a point by forcing overtime.
“We had good energy in the third period,” Sharks captain Logan Couture said. “We fought hard and managed to get a point but couldn’t secure the win.”
Reilly Smith and Chandler Stephenson also scored for Vegas, while Dansk made 25 saves in his first start since 2019, securing his first win since October 2017. Brent Burns, Matt Nieto, and Logan Couture scored for San Jose. Martin Jones was pulled after allowing three goals on eight shots, with Dubnyk stopping 17 of 19 in relief but taking the loss.
Bizarre Goal Ruling
San Jose got on the scoreboard in the second period after a delayed goal review. Burns’ power-play shot initially appeared to hit the post and bounce out. Play continued for 24 seconds until the replay center in Toronto reviewed the footage, confirming the goal. The officials reset the clock to reflect the earlier score, cutting Vegas’ lead to 3-1.
Quick Start for Vegas
The Golden Knights took control early, scoring twice within 75 seconds during the first period. With William Karlsson setting him up, Reilly Smith was left unguarded at the side of the net for the first goal. Chandler Stephenson followed with another goal moments later, finishing off a play from Mark Stone, who now has 20 assists in 20 games this season.
COVID-19 Update
Sharks forward Marcus Sorensen was added to the COVID-19 list before the game. Sorensen had practiced with the team the day before but was placed on the list just before the puck drop. He joins Tomas Hertl, who has been on the COVID-19 list since February 24.
Up Next
- The teams will meet again on Saturday night in San Jose for the second game of their back-to-back series.