Mark Stone and Noah Hanifin each found the net on power plays in the third period, lifting the Vegas Golden Knights to a 2-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night.
The win was Vegas’ fifth in six games, helping the team extend its lead in the Pacific Division to four points over Edmonton.
Meanwhile, the Devils dropped two points behind Carolina for second place in the Metropolitan Division after the Hurricanes secured an overtime win against Calgary. Adding to their concerns, New Jersey lost leading scorer Jack Hughes to a potential arm injury late in the game. Coach Sheldon Keefe provided no immediate update on his status.
Both Golden Knights goals resulted from Hanifin’s shots from the blue line—Stone tipped in the first, while the second made its way through cleanly.
Jack Eichel contributed two assists, setting a single-season franchise record with 26 power-play points. Adin Hill stood tall in net, stopping 25 shots to earn his third shutout of the season.
Returning from a knee injury that sidelined him since Jan. 22, Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 22 saves in a strong performance.
Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb reached a milestone, playing in his 800th career game, while teammate Zach Whitecloud hit the 300-game mark.
Takeaways
Devils: Markstrom showed little rust in return, keeping the game tight despite New Jersey’s struggles on special teams.
Golden Knights: After lackluster third-period performances in recent games, Vegas delivered a dominant final frame to seal the win.
Key Moment
Hill made a critical glove save on Paul Cotter’s 2-on-1 opportunity with 6:17 remaining in the second period, keeping the game scoreless until Vegas’ third-period surge.
Key Stat
Vegas capitalized on two of its four power-play opportunities in the third period. The Golden Knights entered the night ranked third in the NHL with a 27.9% power-play success rate, while New Jersey boasted the second-best penalty kill at 83.6%.
Up Next
New Jersey continues its road trip in Dallas on Tuesday, while Vegas hosts Toronto on Wednesday.
