Despite multiple injuries to the Golden Knights’ defensemen, Vegas blue-liner Nicolas Hague has stepped up to contribute defensively and offensively. Hague capitalized on an opportunity from Mark Stone to score the game-winning goal in overtime, lifting the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-4 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
Hague’s one-timer on a delayed penalty with 2:56 left in overtime secured the win for Vegas, overcoming Filip Forsberg’s hat trick for Nashville. Knights coach Bruce Cassidy praised Hague’s shot, calling it “a freaking bomb.”
“The defending part is essential to us because we need that, and he’s done a real good job with that,” Cassidy said of Hague, who scored his second goal this season. “I know that internally, players want to (be on) the scoresheet. That’s just human nature. So, yeah, it’s a big-time goal for him.”
Hague’s goal came after Vegas squandered a 4-2 lead in the third period. Forsberg scored twice to rally Nashville, including a goal with 3.3 seconds left in regulation that forced overtime.
“(Victory’s) right there, but that stuff’s going to happen,” Hague said. “We’ve done it to teams. Nothing’s going to change that.”
Vegas is now 4-0 on the year’s final day and heads into the new year leading the Western Conference with 52 points.
Three Knights players had multiple points: Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two assists, Keegan Kolesar added a goal and an assist, and Mark Stone contributed three assists.
Forsberg’s hat trick brought his career points total to 501, making him the third Nashville player to reach at least 500 points. Playing in his 600th career game, Forsberg has a team-record eight career hat tricks and extended his goal streak to three games with five goals and two assists during that span.
“I got a good start,” Forsberg said. “I think our line was playing well. Everybody was playing well in the third.”
Nashville had 20 shots on goal in the third period alone.
The Predators initially took a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals from Forsberg and Jeremy Lauzon, who scored his first of the season.
“I thought those two goals were just like our minor mistakes,” Stone said. “I didn’t think they were controlling the game out by any means. So I thought we were actually getting better chances. Even when we were down 2-0, I thought we played pretty hokey. For the majority game, I thought we were the better team.”
Vegas cut the lead in half with 4:04 remaining in the first period when Kolesar redirected Daniil Miromanov’s shot from the point.
The Knights took the lead in the second period with goals from Michael Amadio and Reilly Smith. Stephenson scored 4:42 into the third to extend the lead before the Predators stormed back to tie the game.
NOTES
A player from each team was ejected midway through the second period. Vegas’ Brayden McNabb was tossed for elbowing Mark Jankowski in the head, while Nashville’s Yakov Trenin was sent to the locker room for fighting McNabb and received a two-minute minor for instigation. … Amadio extended his point streak to six games (four goals, four assists), and Stone extended his to five games (four goals, six assists). … Predators goalie Juuse Saros is one game away from making his 250th career appearance. He didn’t play against the Knights.
UP NEXT
- Nashville: Hosts Montreal on Tuesday.
- Vegas: At Colorado on Monday.
