Pavel Dorofeyev scored two power-play goals and added an assist as the Vegas Golden Knights pulled away with three third-period goals to defeat the Minnesota Wild 4-1 on Sunday night.
The win moved Vegas into a tie for the NHL lead with Washington and Winnipeg at 61 points while avoiding their first three-game losing streak of the season.
Tomas Hertl contributed a goal and an assist, Keegan Kolesar netted the game-winner, and Mark Stone and Shea Theodore each recorded two assists. Adin Hill made 15 saves in a solid performance.
Ryan Hartman scored the lone goal for Minnesota, with Filip Gustavsson stopping 32 shots in net for the Wild.
Jack Eichel, Vegas’ leading scorer with 54 points, missed the game due to illness. However, the Golden Knights welcomed back center Nicolas Roy, who had been sidelined for 11 games with an upper-body injury.
Unless the Wild face the Golden Knights in the playoffs, this marked Marc-Andre Fleury’s final game at T-Mobile Arena. Though Fleury didn’t play, the former Vegas goalie, a fan favorite since the franchise’s inaugural season, received loud cheers, chants, and a tribute video during the game.
Takeaways
Wild: After scoring first, Minnesota failed to build on its lead. The Wild were outshot 17-6 in the second period, allowing Vegas to gain momentum and dominate the game.
Golden Knights: Dorofeyev’s two power-play goals highlight a surging man-advantage unit for Vegas, which now has four power-play goals in its last four games.
Key Moment
Kolesar’s third-period goal off a rebound from Zach Whitecloud at 4:09 broke a 1-1 tie and gave Vegas the lead for good.
Key Stat
3 hours, 43 minutes — The time between five-on-five goals for the Golden Knights, a drought they ended with Kolesar’s tally.
Up Next
- Wild: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.
- Golden Knights: Travel to Nashville to face the Predators on Tuesday night.
