Chandler Stephenson’s pinpoint pass set up William Carrier for a wide-open net, leading to a moment of panic. Despite similar chances being thwarted this season, Carrier ensured this one wouldn’t be, netting the goal with 17.7 seconds remaining to secure a 2-1 victory for the Vegas Golden Knights over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, extending their winning streak to four games.
“I might have shot that one a little hard and high,” Carrier admitted. “I was going to make sure (the goalie) wasn’t going to get anything on it.”
Paul Cotter also scored for Vegas, and Adin Hill made 26 saves.
“On a night like that where it feels like we’re generating a lot of chances and we have some opportunities, we’re not finding the back of the net; it could easily have gone the other way,” said Knights center Jack Eichel. “Big on Hilly to come up with those big saves for us. We’re only able to generate two goals, so we’re lucky that he was able to backstop us.”
Hill outdueled San Jose’s Kaapo Kahkonen, who stopped 36 shots and was tested by the Knights with seven power play opportunities. Vegas failed to capitalize on any of these chances against the NHL’s fourth-ranked penalty kill.
“I don’t want to go down that path, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a hockey game where one team takes seven penalties and the other only takes one,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “Frustrating, but give our penalty kill a ton of credit. They did a hell of a job. Our goalie was outstanding. I thought it was his best game of the year, and I’m just real disappointed we couldn’t finish it off the last 17 seconds.”
The Knights have their own reasons for frustration, having converted just one of their past 28 power plays. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said the team has been working to get more interior chances with the man advantage rather than relying on outside shots.
“I think that’s just a mindset that we have to keep chipping away at to get the interior plays so that you’re able to open up passing lanes,” Cassidy said. “We’ll keep grinding away at it.”
The Knights failed to score on three power plays in the first period, even with six shots with the man advantage and outshot San Jose 14-4 overall.
San Jose shut down the Knights’ offense in the second, not allowing a shot on goal over the first 11 1/2 minutes. The Sharks then capitalized offensively when Alexander Barabanov scored off a rebound with 2:56 left in the period to take a 1-0 lead.
Vegas nearly tied it 1:26 into the third period, but Jonathan Marchessault’s power-play goal was waved off because the referee determined he pushed Kahkonen’s pad over the line. The Knights finally broke through five minutes later when Eichel fed Paul Cotter for a 2-on-1 breakaway to tie it. That extended Cotter’s goal streak to three games, and Eichel has five points (two goals, three assists) in those three games.
The carrier then won the game late, and the Knights continued their domination of San Jose, leading 20-2-4 all-time.
Game Notes
- Patrick Marleau will have his No. 12 jersey retired before the Sharks’ home game on Feb. 25 against Chicago. He is San Jose’s leader in numerous career categories, including goals (522), points (1,111), and games played (1,607). Marleau, who played in parts of 21 seasons for the Sharks, retired in 2022.
- Sharks center Nico Sturm took a puck in his right arm or wrist from Vegas’ Nic Hague early in the first period and entered the locker room. He returned in the second period.
UP NEXT
- Sharks: Host Buffalo on Saturday.
- Golden Knights: Host Tampa Bay on Saturday.
