William Karlsson and Kaedan Korczak each had a goal and an assist, and Jonathan Marchessault scored the game-winner in the third round of a shootout as the Vegas Golden Knights remained undefeated with a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. It was the teams’ first meeting since the Knights eliminated the Stars in six games last spring to advance to the Stanley Cup final.
The defending champions have won their first four games of the season to match their best start as a franchise (4-0-0) since 2020-21. They are also off to a 3-0 start as the league’s top team and have outscored opponents 66-58.
Brayden Pachal celebrated his first NHL goal, and the Vegas Golden Knights topped the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night at SAP Center in San Jose, California. The Knights have depth, and they were able to use it in this victory. Left-wing Pavel Dorofeyev and defenseman Jonas Rondbjerg recorded primary assists in their season debuts, while defenseman Nic Hague was outstanding on the top pair.
This is a new group of players, but they have the same mentality as those who fought through injuries and adversity during the playoffs last year. They want to avoid settling for a second-place finish and are pushing to make owner Bill Foley proud. Six players remain from the initial 2017-18 roster that lost to the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup final.
In the first period, Vegas took a lead on the power play when Michael Carrier backhanded a puck in from behind the net. It was the Knights’ ninth shorthanded goal this postseason and their fifth in three games against the Sharks.
Then came the second period, which was all about the physical play between the two teams. Two fighting majors were assessed as both squads traded punches in the sloppy second period. In a back-and-forth second, the Knights got the only goal of the period when Karlsson tipped in a Korczak shot.
Marchessault broke the tie in the third period when he stripped the puck from the Stars’ Tyler Seguin and beat goalie Jake Oettinger five-hole for his 13th goal.
It was the Knights’ first goal in a shootout, and they needed just one to get the job done. Reilly Smith and Shea Theodore both missed, but Marchessault was a perfect shooter. His deft chip over the shoulder of Oettinger gave Vegas a 3-2 lead and a 1-0 series advantage in Dallas.
The teams will meet again Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in a rematch of the Western Conference final. It’s the first time these two teams will play in Vegas this season. The Knights have won all six games at home against the Stars, while they are 2-2 in their road trips this season.
