On Thursday night, Pavel Dorofeyev recorded his second career hat trick to lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a commanding 5-1 win over the struggling Boston Bruins.
Dorofeyev, who notched his first hat trick earlier this season in a 5-3 loss to Nashville on Jan. 14, helped Vegas maintain its grip atop the Pacific Division. Brett Howden and Ivan Barbashev also found the back of the net, while Adin Hill made 18 saves for the Golden Knights.
Hill came close to earning his fifth shutout of the season, but Boston’s Morgan Geekie spoiled the bid with his 24th goal at the 17:49 mark of the third period.
Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman stopped 27 shots in a losing effort. Boston has now dropped four straight and sits five points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with just 12 games remaining.
Game Takeaways
Bruins: Boston was limited to 19 shots on goal and has been outshot in five consecutive games. Over that stretch, they’ve averaged only 20 shots per contest.
Golden Knights: William Karlsson returned to action after missing two months due to a lower-body injury. He played nearly 16 minutes over 20 shifts and picked up an assist in his return.
Key Moment
Nikita Zadorov was called for slashing at 8:15 the second period, setting up a Vegas power play. Dorofeyev capitalized shortly after, putting the Golden Knights ahead 1-0 with the NHL’s second-ranked power play.
Key Stat
The Golden Knights recorded hat tricks in back-to-back home games for the first time in franchise history. Tomas Hertl had the previous one during a 6-5 loss to Los Angeles on March 9.
Looking Ahead
Vegas continues its three-game homestand on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings. The Bruins head to San Jose to face the Sharks as part of their five-game road trip.
