Timo Meier’s power-play goal with 2:47 left broke a tie and secured a 5-2 victory for the San Jose Sharks over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.
The Sharks closed out a four-game road trip with their third straight win, handing Vegas its second consecutive home loss after previously winning nine in a row, including six on the road.
This victory marked the fifth time in six meetings that the road team has won in this intense rivalry since Vegas entered the NHL in 2017. It was also just the second time the Sharks have beaten Vegas in regulation during the regular season.
Despite suggestions that the rivalry has cooled due to the Sharks’ recent struggles and Vegas’ dominance, Meier insists the rivalry is still alive.
“Definitely for us, it still is (a rivalry),” Meier said. “We just want to win the game against them, and it feels nice. If they don’t think it’s a rivalry, we don’t really care. We won today so that’s all we really care about.”
Luke Kunin, Matt Nieto, Logan Couture, and Mario Ferraro also scored for San Jose, with James Reimer making 22 saves.
“Before this trip, we really put an emphasis on coming out of it with a winning record, and the last few games have been come-from-behind wins and haven’t been easy, but I think our group just stuck with it,” Nieto said.
Since starting the season 0-5-0, the Sharks are on a 5-4-3 run, and they are heading home for three games.
Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault scored for Vegas, with Logan Thompson stopping 24 shots, ending his six-game win streak.
After Meier’s eighth goal of the season made it 3-2, Couture and Ferraro added empty-netters to seal the win.
Eichel opened the scoring with his 10th goal of the season just after a penalty kill, one-timing a pass from Shea Theodore to give Vegas a 1-0 lead with 3.9 seconds left in the first period. It was Eichel’s 400th career point.
The Sharks tied it midway through the second period when Erik Karlsson’s shot from the blue line deflected to Kunin, who scored a one-timer from the right circle for his 100th career point.
Vegas regained the lead when Marchessault scored after being stopped three times earlier by Reimer. He caught Reimer off the post and fired a short-side shot to put the Knights ahead 2-1.
Nieto tied the game again early in the third period, backhanding a pass from Alexander Barabanov past Thompson.
The Golden Knights had their chances but went 0 for 3 on the power play.
“Our special teams, in general, let us down late,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “A lot of your top guys are on that. But I thought the second goal gave them life, and that should never happen if you’re a good hockey club and take care of business in front of your net early in the period.”
Game Notes
- Chandler Stephenson extended his point streak to four games with an assist on Eichel’s goal.
- Phil Kessel played in his 999th consecutive game.
- San Jose’s five goals were the most it has ever scored against Vegas in the regular season.
Up Next
- Sharks: Host Detroit on Thursday night.
- Golden Knights: Host Arizona on Thursday night.
