The Vegas Golden Knights kept their surge going Saturday night, erupting for five goals in the third period to cruise past the Nashville Predators 7-2 and extend their winning streak to seven games.
Alexander Holtz and Shea Theodore ignited the outburst late in the second period, scoring just 1:05 apart to swing momentum firmly in Vegas’ favor. Theodore, skating in his 600th NHL game, followed Holtz’s tying goal by snapping a shot through traffic to give the Golden Knights the lead heading into the final frame.
Vegas blew the game open in the third. Pavel Dorofeyev netted his 20th goal of the season and Mark Stone added his 18th, the latter stretching his career-best point streak to 11 games. Cole Reinhardt and Mitch Marner struck 50 seconds apart, and Keegan Kolesar finished the barrage to cap the decisive period. Akira Schmid turned aside 26 shots in the win.
Nashville received goals from Luke Evangelista and Filip Forsberg, while Justus Annunen made 29 saves. The Predators entered the game riding a three-game winning streak, including a high-scoring win at Colorado the night before.
Holtz tied the game 1-1 with 2:43 left in the second, redirecting a one-timer that deflected off a defender. Theodore quickly followed with the eventual game-winner. Dorofeyev and Stone then scored on breakaways early in the third, with Jack Eichel and Marner setting up those chances.
Former Golden Knight Jonathan Marchessault, the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, returned to the lineup for Nashville after missing 14 games with a lower-body injury. Now in his second season with the Predators, Marchessault spent seven years in Vegas.
Up next
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Predators: Host Buffalo on Tuesday night.
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Golden Knights: Welcome Philadelphia on Monday night.
