Adin Hill stopped 32 shots, Tanner Pearson scored his first game-winning goal of the season, and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers 4-1 on Sunday night.
After losing seven of their previous nine games, the Golden Knights earned a much-needed win against the defending Stanley Cup champions to kick off a three-game homestand.
Brayden McNabb, Jack Eichel, and Tomas Hertl also scored for Vegas, while Nic Roy contributed three assists. Anton Lundell scored the lone goal for Florida, with Spencer Knight making 22 saves for the Panthers.
Florida was playing its fourth road game in six nights and was on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating San Jose 7-2 on Saturday.
The victory moved Vegas back into first place in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of Edmonton.
Takeaways
Panthers: Florida missed a chance to reclaim the top spot in the Atlantic Division and remains one point behind Toronto.
Golden Knights: Vegas announced before the game that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo would withdraw from the upcoming 4 Nations Faceoff. Despite this, Pietrangelo played 24:22 in the win.
Key Moment
With the Golden Knights clinging to a one-goal lead early in the third period, Florida failed to convert on a power play while Nic Hague was in the penalty box. The Panthers came into the game with the NHL’s third-best road power play, but Vegas’ penalty kill held firm.
Key Stat
Brett Howden played in his 400th career NHL game.
Up Next
The Panthers return home to host the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night, and the Golden Knights continue their homestand against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
