Jack Eichel capped a dramatic comeback by scoring 2:44 into overtime as the Vegas Golden Knights erased a late deficit to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 on Thursday night, extending their winning streak to six games.
Vegas forced the extra period in thrilling fashion when Tomas Hertl scored with just seven seconds remaining during a 6-on-5 situation, finishing a setup from Eichel. Eichel totaled four points on the night, including the decisive goal in overtime.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice on the power play for the Golden Knights and nearly completed a hat trick late in regulation, but Toronto successfully challenged the play for offside. Mark Stone continued his hot stretch with a goal and two assists, pushing his point streak to 10 games. Keegan Kolesar also found the net, while Mitch Marner added two assists against his former team.
Marner, who spent his entire career with Toronto before joining Vegas in a sign-and-trade last summer, was loudly booed by visiting Maple Leafs fans throughout the night. The teams will meet again in Toronto on Jan. 23.
Adin Hill made 23 saves in his first appearance since Oct. 20 after recovering from a lower-body injury. Toronto struck early, scoring three times in the opening 9:57 to grab a 3-1 lead, but Hill settled in and made key stops to keep Vegas within reach.
For Toronto, William Nylander and John Tavares each recorded a goal and an assist, while Auston Matthews, Morgan Rielly, and Scott Laughton also scored. Nylander, the team’s leading scorer with 48 points, exited in the first period because of a lower-body injury. Joseph Woll stopped 28 shots in the loss.
The game marked Nicholas Robertson’s 200th career NHL appearance for the Maple Leafs.
Up next
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Maple Leafs: Visit Winnipeg on Saturday.
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Golden Knights: Host Nashville on Saturday.
