William Karlsson continues to make the Anaheim Ducks regret trading him away.
The Vegas Golden Knights center scored twice, including the overtime winner, as Vegas secured a 3-2 victory over the Ducks on Saturday night.
“Me and Theo (defenseman Shea Theodore) always say before the games, ‘These guys didn’t want us,’ so there’s always extra motivation,” said Karlsson, who has netted three of his five goals this season against Anaheim.
In overtime, Karlsson broke away and fired a wrist shot past Ducks goalie John Gibson with 1:37 left. He also delivered a highlight-reel goal in the second period, snapping an eight-game goal drought.
Drafted by Anaheim in 2011 before being traded to Columbus in 2015, Karlsson now has 12 goals in 22 games against his former team. Theodore, also a former Duck, chipped in with two assists in the victory.
“He’s been a bit snakebit lately, so it was great for him to get a couple,” Vegas coach Pete DeBoer said of Karlsson. “He was under pressure on both goals, with little time to think, just reacting.”
Alex Pietrangelo extended his point streak to three games with a goal and an assist, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 28 saves, including two crucial stops on Isac Lundestrom in overtime.
Vegas has dominated Anaheim this season, winning four out of five meetings and 14 of 17 matchups all-time.
Rickard Rakell led Anaheim with a goal and an assist, and Adam Henrique added another tally. Gibson recorded 24 saves for the Ducks, who are now winless in their last six games.
“We played hard against tough competition. We could have been more assertive early but found our rhythm,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “It was a gritty effort to come back and tie it.”
Both teams found the net in the first period, with Rakell and Pietrangelo each scoring their second goal of the season on wrist shots from the faceoff circle.
Rakell’s shot from the left circle beat Fleury on the short side, giving Anaheim the lead midway through the first. Pietrangelo tied it with 3:31 remaining in the period, going top corner from the right circle while Gibson was screened.
Karlsson gave Vegas the lead nine minutes into the second, sneaking past Anaheim’s defense and chipping a shot over Gibson’s glove as he fell to the ice, assisted by Pietrangelo.
Henrique tied the game 2-2 midway through the third period, knocking in a rebound after Fleury saved his initial shot. It was Henrique’s first game back after clearing waivers on Feb. 21.
“I can either dwell on the past or take things game by game and try to make an impact,” said Henrique, who has two goals this season.
Fleury’s Milestone
This victory marked Marc-Andre Fleury’s 100th regular-season win with the Golden Knights. Fleury, the team’s first pick in the expansion draft, won three Stanley Cups during his 13 seasons with Pittsburgh before joining Vegas.
Over the past four seasons, Fleury leads the NHL with 20 shutouts and ranks fifth in wins. His 2.45 goals-against average is sixth among goalies who have played at least 80 games.
“Playing in Vegas has been amazing from day one,” Fleury said. “The support has been incredible, and the guys have worked hard to establish the franchise.”
700 Club
Anaheim defensemen Cam Fowler and Kevin Shattenkirk both reached the milestone of playing in their 700th NHL game.
Fowler, drafted 12th overall by Anaheim in 2010, became the youngest player in franchise history to play 700 games at 29 years, 2 months, and 22 days. He assisted on Rakell’s goal and has a point streak in three straight games.
Shattenkirk, a 14th overall pick in 2007 by Colorado, signed with the Ducks in the offseason after winning a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay last year. The 32-year-old has also played for St. Louis, Washington, and the New York Rangers.
Up Next
- Golden Knights: Return home to face the Minnesota Wild on Monday.
- Ducks: Continue their homestand against the St. Louis Blues on Monday.
