Golden Knights Beat Jets 5-3 for Fifth Straight Win to Start Season

Peter Allen Bak
Peter Allen Bak
2 Min Read
Oct 19, 2023; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Vegas Golden Knights center Paul Cotter (43) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (44) collide on the boards in the third period at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports

Jack Eichel scored a power-play goal with 4:36 remaining, breaking a tie and lifting the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night, marking their fifth consecutive win to open the season.

The Golden Knights are the first defending champions to start a season with five straight wins since the 1985-86 Edmonton Oilers.

“Good teams find a way to win, and we found a way to win,” Eichel said. “Obviously, we’ll take the two points tonight.”

Following Eichel’s go-ahead goal, Nicolas Roy sealed the game with an empty-netter with 1:03 left.

Jonathan Marchessault, Brett Howden, and Alec Martinez also scored for the Golden Knights. Logan Thompson made 36 saves.

“We know we’re not going to play our best every night, but a ton of credit goes to our goalie,” Eichel said. “And we found a way to score some goals down the stretch.”

Alex Iafallo scored twice for Winnipeg, while Cole Perfetti added a goal. Laurent Brossoit stopped 22 shots.

“It’s frustrating to lose, obviously,” Iafallo said. “You want to win every game, but we will stay positive. I feel like we are doing a lot of good things. We need to clean up some mistakes but, at the same time, we will keep moving forward, climbing that mountain.”

The game was a rematch of Vegas’ 4-1 series victory over Winnipeg in the first round of last season’s playoffs.

UP NEXT

  • Golden Knights: At Chicago on Saturday night.
  • Jets: At Edmonton on Saturday night.
Peter Allen Bak is a part-time writer and reporter based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Born and raised in Casa Grande, Arizona, Peter played both football and soccer for his high school team. His passion for sports continued into adulthood, where he became an avid fan of the Las Vegas Raiders, Vegas Golden Knights, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Peter graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in 2008, where he honed his writing skills and developed a keen interest in sports business. An enthusiastic traveler, Peter enjoys exploring international destinations during his free time. When he's not globetrotting, he can often be found hiking the scenic trails around Las Vegas or testing his strength and agility through bouldering. In recent years, he has also taken up pickleball. In 2012, Peter married his high school sweetheart, Kimberly. The couple has since welcomed three children into their lives: their son Connor, and twin daughters Kiara and Kacey.