The Vegas Golden Knights won their fourth straight game when they defeated the first-place Winnipeg Jets 3-2 in overtime Thursday night at Canada Life Centre.
Vegas tied the game at 2-2 with less than two minutes in the third period, and Ivan Barbashev scored 3:47 into extra time to lift the Golden Knights to victory.
It was the 10th time this season the Golden Knights rallied for a come-from-behind win. Vegas is now 2-0-0 against Winnipeg this season and improves to 19-7-3 on the year.
Adin Hill turned aside 18 of 20 shots for win No. 12 on the year. He has gone 6-1-1 with a 1.73 goals-against average and .938 save percentage in his last eight starts.
Winnipeg netminder Connor Hellebuyck was the reason this game was close, as he was tested heavily by Vegas throughout the contest, ultimately stopping 33 of 36 (.917 save percentage).
There was just one goal through the first 44 minutes of regulation, and it came off the stick of Jets forward Nikita Chibrikov midway through the opening frame. It was the Jets’ second shot of the game in a period that saw the home team generate a total of four.
Vladislav Namestnikov sent a shot-pass off Hill’s pad, which Chibrikov buried at 9:27.
The Golden Knights outshot the Jets 12-4 in the first period and 10-6 in the second for a combined 22-10 margin. Thanks to Hellebuyck, however, the Jets held a 1-0 lead going into the third period.
Less than five minutes in, Keegan Kolesar ended Hellebuyck’s shutout bid with the equalizer from the slot. It may have been unassisted, but a Shea Theodore pinch forced a turnover, and Kolesar beat Hellebuyck short-side with his seventh of the year.
The Jets pulled ahead once again on an absolute laser at 10:55. Josh Morrissey was given way too much time and space, and the talented defenseman beat Hill short-side for the go-ahead goal.
The Golden Knights got a late power play that turned into a two-man advantage just 13 seconds later, setting up a crucial opportunity with 2:27 remaining in regulation.
The top unit put on a passing clinic, and Mark Stone ultimately set up Victor Olofsson for the bang-bang one-timer. The passing was so crisp on the play that the broadcast camera couldn’t keep up with the final sequence.
Olofsson’s fourth of the year was his first goal since returning from injury and his third power-play marker of the season, and it knotted things up at 2-2 to earn Vegas a point and force overtime.
Vegas took advantage of a turnover on a sloppy Winnipeg change in overtime, as Theodore set up a 2-on-1 with Barbashev. It was a surprising goal for Hellebuyck to surrender after an excellent night, but Barbashev called game with 1:13 left on the clock to give the Golden Knights the 3-2 win.
It was a strong effort by the Golden Knights, who outplayed Winnipeg all night.
At 5-on-5, Vegas led 75-37 in shot attempts and held a 30-10 margin in scoring chances — including a 16-4 advantage in high-danger chances — per Natural Stat Trick. Vegas also managed an expected goal share of 74.69 percent.
The Golden Knights didn’t lose patience against a hot goaltender; instead, they continued to play the right way, stayed with their game and eventually got the results.
The power play with Stone back in the mix is an X-factor for Vegas, and the Golden Knights are now a perfect 4-for-4 on 5-on-3 power plays this season.
After starting the year 0-3-0 away from home, the Golden Knights are 8-1-1 in their last 10 road games.
They will look to continue to build on that when they take on Edmonton and Minnesota in a back-to-back this weekend before returning home for a three-game homestand starting Thursday against the Canucks.