Brayden McNabb and Jack Eichel delivered back-to-back short-handed goals within 23 seconds in the third period. Alex Pietrangelo tallied three assists as the Vegas Golden Knights rallied to defeat the San Jose Sharks 6-3 on Friday night.
Noah Hanifin, Mark Stone, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Brett Howden also found the net for Vegas, which exploded for four unanswered goals in the third period.
Rookie Will Smith led the Sharks with a goal and an assist, while Shakir Mukhamadullin and Tyler Toffoli also scored.
The Sharks were ahead 3-2 early in the third and looked poised to extend their lead on a power play. However, the Golden Knights turned the tide with McNabb’s equalizer at 1:03, followed swiftly by Eichel’s go-ahead goal.
Tyler Toffoli had given San Jose a 3-2 lead late in the second period with his team-leading 14th goal, banking a shot off Vegas defenseman Nicolas Hague’s skate and past goaltender Adin Hill.
Hill finished with 22 saves for Vegas, while San Jose’s Alexandar Georgiev stopped 30 shots.
Takeaways
Golden Knights: Vegas extended its winning streak to a season-best five games and has now won nine of its last 10 contests. Their dominant third-period performance showcased their resilience and depth.
Sharks: San Jose managed to stay competitive for two periods but crumbled in the third. The rebuilding Sharks have now lost five in a row, eight of their last nine, and 12 of 14 overall.
Key Moment
The Sharks honored former player Tomas Hertl with a tribute video before the game. Hertl, a two-time All-Star forward, was traded to Vegas earlier this year after spending 11 seasons with San Jose. He was pivotal in leading the Sharks to the 2019 Western Conference Final.
Key Stat
Shakir Mukhamadullin’s first NHL goal marked his second career point. The 22-year-old defenseman, acquired from New Jersey in last year’s Timo Meier trade, was playing in his ninth game.
Up Next
Vegas returns home to host the Calgary Flames on Sunday night. San Jose faces the Flames at home on Saturday night.