The Vegas Golden Knights turned a one-goal game into a comfortable road win Tuesday night, riding a strong third period to beat the Nashville Predators 5-2 at Bridgestone Arena.
Vegas was coming off Monday’s loss at Minnesota in the second half of a back-to-back, but it never looked like a tired team for long. The Golden Knights got goals from five different players, and coach Ryan Craig pointed to the finish as the difference-maker.
"I thought everybody to a man was ready to play, especially our goaltender early with the early penalty kills and the penalty-shot save," Craig said. "But I think our best period for me was the third period. I thought we came up with the right intensity to try to finish off a game, and we did."
William Karlsson delivered the go-ahead goal late in the second period, and Trevor Connelly and Brett Howden buried Nashville early in the third to shut the door.
Nashville struck first when Ryan O'Reilly scored at 3:55 of the opening period, but Vegas answered quickly. Tomas Hertl tied it at 6:46, and Jack Eichel put the Golden Knights ahead 2-1 at 12:48.
The Predators found another answer in the second, getting a shorthanded goal from Adam Edstrom at 8:45 to even the score at 2-2. But Vegas reclaimed the lead at 17:44 when Karlsson scored to make it 3-2 heading into the third.
That was the turning point. Connelly made it 4-2 at 4:49 of the final period, and Howden followed just 95 seconds later at 6:24.
"I think the best part was coming out in the third and not taking our foot off the gas and kind of bringing our game to another level," Howden said. "I thought we put the pedal down and did a good job of finishing it off the right way."
Adin Hill stopped 25 shots and also turned aside a first-period penalty shot, helping Vegas weather Nashville’s push before the Golden Knights took over. Craig said the game showed the kind of lineup balance he wants to see all season.
"Depth. That's what it is," Craig said.
"We were able to play four lines. The game dictated that quite a bit, which is good for a hockey club, especially on a back-to-back early in the year."
Karlsson’s goal stood as the winner, and it marked his second straight game with a tally. Craig liked what he saw from the veteran forward.
"Two good shots," Craig said. "He had the breakaway last night, too, so he's starting to shoot the puck, which we like to see."
Five different Golden Knights scored, and 12 players recorded at least one point in the win.
Vegas returns home Thursday to face the Calgary Flames at T-Mobile Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. Pacific.
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