Jack Eichel netted the game-winner with seven seconds remaining in overtime to propel the Vegas Golden Knights to a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night, boosting their record to 8-2-0.
This win ties the Golden Knights with Boston for the NHL’s highest point total at 16 as they embark on their first extended road trip of the season.
The Jets, who entered the game with a perfect 2-0 record in overtime this season, saw their three-game winning streak snapped by Eichel’s skillful maneuvering in the final moments of the extra period.
“I wanted to get to my backhand side; it’s a little more dynamic that way,” Eichel explained. “I circled the net on my forehand to start. I wanted to take it to the net, and I could hear the bench saying there wasn’t much time left. I knew they had some tired bodies on the ice, so I wanted to challenge them.”
Eichel circled the offensive zone for eight seconds before reversing on Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele at the blue line. He then skated down the left wing, darted through the crease, and slipped the puck past goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s left pad.
Vegas starter Logan Thompson and Adin Hill, who rank fourth and sixth, respectively, in the NHL for goals-against averages, have combined to help Vegas lead the league with a 1.70 GAA. Hill made 24 saves in this game.
“Logan’s played six games and Aidan’s four. That was our plan, and we stuck to it unless something really went haywire,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We were not going to deviate just because one of the guys had a poor outing. They’ve both had solid outings.”
Adam Lowry scored Winnipeg’s lone regulation goal, and Hellebuyck stopped 46 shots.
After stopping the first nine shots he faced over the first two periods, Hill allowed Lowry to punch home a rebound at the doorstep just 13 seconds into the third period, giving Winnipeg the lead.
This was only the third time in 10 games that the Golden Knights allowed the opposition to score first. Meanwhile, it marked the seventh time in eight games that the Jets scored first.
Hellebuyck, with 29 shutouts since entering the league in 2015, lost his bid for a 30th when Mark Stone tied the game seven minutes later. Eichel assisted on the goal, marking his fourth multi-point game this season.
“Our goaltender had to stand on his head for most of the evening,” Winnipeg associate coach Scott Arniel said. “We’ll take the points, get out of here. We’ve got some lessons to learn and some habits to break. The way we start games isn’t good enough in this league.”
Game Notes
Vegas’ Alec Martinez and Reilly Smith are four games away from skating in their 700th career game. Winnipeg’s Brenden Dillon reached 700 penalty minutes for his NHL career with a first-period interference penalty.
Up Next
- Winnipeg: Hosts Montreal on Thursday night.
- Vegas: Opens a five-game trip at Washington on Tuesday night.
