Alex Pietrangelo scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and added two assists as the Vegas Golden Knights rallied to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 on Monday night.
William Carrier netted two goals, and Mark Stone contributed a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights (15-4-1), who overcame a 4-2 deficit in the third period. Reilly Smith also scored, while Jack Eichel and Alec Martinez each recorded two assists.
Logan Thompson made 25 saves for Vegas, which persevered despite having a go-ahead goal disallowed in the third period.
“I don’t think that’s really how we drew it up,” Pietrangelo said. “A lot of emotions. Obviously, we score, and then it gets taken back. But I’ll tell you what, it’s not easy to win on the road, and you’ve got to give credit to our group — we were resilient no matter what happened.”
Andrei Kuzmenko had a goal and an assist for Vancouver (6-10-3). Bo Horvat, Luke Schenn, and Elias Pettersson also scored, with Quinn Hughes providing two assists.
Thatcher Demko made 33 saves for the Canucks, who have now surrendered a multi-goal lead and lost for the seventh time this season.
“Inexcusable,” defenseman Luke Schenn said. “That’s nothing to do with systems or what the coaches tell us. That comes down to battle and compete. We’re getting outmuscled and outbattled in front of the net and in the blue paint. Everyone just needs to be better in front of (Demko), and that’s where games are won and lost.”
Vegas appeared to take the lead midway through the third period, but the goal was disallowed due to an unusual bounce. A clearing attempt by the Canucks hit the lens of a camera protruding through one of the media holes in the glass, knocking a piece of it onto the ice. Play continued at that end, and Stone put the puck in the net. However, after a video review, the goal was overturned, and an official stated that the play should have been stopped.
About four minutes later, Pietrangelo gave the Golden Knights a 5-4 advantage by collecting a puck from Stone and sending a backhand shot past Demko from the low slot at 14:14.
Vancouver had scored three consecutive goals early in the third to go up 4-2 before Vegas mounted their comeback.
“We let them score one, kind of changed the momentum quickly, and then they scored another one. So I don’t know,” Pettersson said. “We just can’t let that happen. It’s been happening way too many times this season.”
Carrier made it 4-3 with his second goal of the night at 6:54, sending in a rebound from the top of the crease for his sixth of the season.
“Once they scored one, it was like, ‘Uh oh, here we go again.’ And we’re back on our heels, and they came at us, and then they got three,” Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau said.
Smith shoveled a puck into the Vancouver net at 8:57 to tie it.
“We just win some pucks below their goal line and get it to the front of the net and force them to defend an area they haven’t done as good a job as they’d probably like this year,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We didn’t do an excellent job to start a third there, and then it snowballs a little bit. You have a little life, and you get a couple more pucks to the net and a second chance.”
ON A ROLL
Horvat tied the game 1:47 into the third with a wrist shot from the hash marks. The Canucks’ captain now has 15 goals, the second-most in the NHL behind Connor McDavid (16). Brock Boeser’s assist on the game’s first goal extended his point streak to seven games (two goals, six assists).
MARKING MILESTONES
Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault played his 500th regular-season NHL game. Now in his 10th season, the 31-year-old center suited up for Columbus, Tampa Bay, and Florida before Vegas selected him in the 2017 expansion draft. Vancouver defenseman Ethan Bear made his 200th regular-season appearance.
UP NEXT
- Golden Knights: Host the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday in the opener of a three-game homestand.
- Canucks: Begin a three-game trip Wednesday at Colorado.