Martin Necas celebrated his new eight-year, $92 million contract in style, tallying a goal and two assists to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.
Necas wasted no time making an impact, scoring just 41 seconds into the game for his eighth goal of the season. The Avalanche maintained control from there, with Cale Makar, Brock Nelson, and Brent Burns also finding the back of the net. Scott Wedgewood made 21 saves to earn the win.
Makar extended his point streak to six games, while Burns — at 40 years old — reached another career milestone. With his goal, he moved past Bobby Orr into 11th place all-time among NHL defensemen with 916 career points.
For Vegas, Tomas Hertl and Mitch Marner each had a goal and an assist, and rookie goaltender Carl Lindbom stopped 22 shots in the loss. The Golden Knights’ power play continued to sputter without injured captain Mark Stone (wrist), going 1-for-6 on the night and just 2-for-19 since his absence — a sharp contrast from their 9-for-24 success rate with him in the lineup.
Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy even burned his timeout early in the third period to set up a 5-on-3 advantage, but the team failed to convert. Hertl eventually scored during a 4-on-4 sequence, but the Avalanche’s relentless penalty kill, which has now neutralized 28 of 30 power plays this season, kept them in control.
Up Next:
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Avalanche: Continue their road trip Saturday night against the San Jose Sharks.
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Golden Knights: Return home Tuesday to host the Detroit Red Wings.
