The Vegas Golden Knights snapped a four-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night, powered by goals from Nicolas Roy, Shea Theodore, and Jack Eichel. Goaltender Adin Hill stopped 16 shots to secure the victory.
The win marked just the second road victory for Vegas since Jan. 7.
Game Recap
Roy broke the scoreless deadlock at 3:09 of the second period with his seventh goal of the season, putting the Golden Knights ahead 1-0. Theodore followed up with another tally at 11:18, giving Vegas a two-goal cushion.
Eichel extended the lead early in the third period, scoring his 19th goal of the season at 4:06 to put the Golden Knights up 3-0.
New Jersey spoiled Hill’s shutout bid when Ondrej Palat netted a power-play goal at 15:43, which Stefan Noesen and Jesper Bratt assisted.
The Devils entered the matchup fresh off a shootout win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday but have now dropped three of their last five games.
Vegas, which had struggled in recent outings (1-3-2 in its previous six), secured a much-needed win after losing to the Rangers and Islanders back-to-back earlier in their four-game road trip.
Notable Absences
- Devils captain Nico Hischier missed his fifth straight game due to an injury sustained from a cross-check by Montreal’s Nick Suzuki on Jan. 25.
- Defenseman Simon Nemec returned to the Devils’ lineup for the first time since Oct. 22 after being recalled from AHL Utica.
Goaltender Jake Allen made 36 saves for New Jersey but fell to 8-11-1 this season.
Takeaways
Golden Knights: Improved to 13-11-3 on the road while maintaining a strong 19-6-3 home record.
Devils: Dropped to 15-9-4 at Prudential Center but have still posted a solid 8-3-1 home record since Dec. 12.
Key Moment
Roy’s second-period goal set the tone and shifted momentum in Vegas’ favor, marking the first time the Golden Knights had scored more than two goals in a game since Jan. 28.
Key Stat
Hill improved to 20-10-4, reaching the 20-win milestone for the first time in his career. The 28-year-old netminder played a crucial role in Vegas’ 2023 Stanley Cup run, winning 19 games last season.
Up Next
- Devils: Travel to Montreal to face the Canadiens on Saturday.
- Golden Knights: Continue their road trip with a matchup against the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
