The Vegas Golden Knights picked up a key two points against a tough Dallas Stars team with a 3-2 overtime win Friday night at American Airlines Center.
Max Pacioretty scored the game-winning goal 51 seconds into overtime to lift Vegas to victory.
It was a critical test for the Knights, who were coming off a disappointing 4-2 loss to St. Louis and were hoping to avoid a losing streak. But Vegas came through with a solid effort in the second half of the back-to-back set against Central Division opponents.
It was Dallas that took control early, however.
The Stars were completely dominant in the first period and ended up outshooting the Knights 15-7 and easily winning the Corsi battle with a 30-14 edge at 5-on-5.
Taylor Fedun got the Stars on the board late in the first period, but Malcolm Subban made key stops to keep it a one-goal game through 20 minutes.
The Knights built on Subban’s strong play and responded with a stellar effort in the middle frame. This time, it was Vegas’ turn to be dominant. The Knights led in shots (16-7), Corsi (22-10) and scoring chances (9-4), and Vegas had two goals to show for it after 40 minutes.
First, William Karlsson knotted things up at 1-1 just 4:20 into the second period.
Ben Bishop got tangled up with Stars defenseman Esa Lindell, leaving a yawning cage for Wild Bill, who netted his 10th of the season.
Ten minutes later, Chandler Stephenson gave Vegas a 2-1 lead with his second goal as a Knight.
The play was a perfect example of what Stephenson brings to the table as he used his blazing speed to blow through the neutral zone and gain positioning on the Stars defender before beating Bishop.
It was also an impressive display of skill by Pacioretty, who used his skate to redirect a feed from Mark Stone in the neutral zone.
Vegas controlled play for most of the third period, though it was a more evenly-fought battle between the two teams. In the end, Dallas won where it mattered as Jamie Benn redirected a shot by Tyler Seguin to tie it up at 2-2 with just over five minutes remaining in regulation.
Overtime hasn’t been overly kind to the Knights this season, but even the Friday-the-13th narrative couldn’t get in Vegas’ way.
The Knights took advantage of a sloppy line change by the Stars, and Shea Theodore‘s stretch pass found Pacioretty alone on the blue line. He had an extra step on the Dallas defender and used a forehand-backhand deke that completely fooled Bishop, leaving a wide-open net for the game-winning tally just under a minute into extra time.
It was Pacioretty’s second point of the night and 30th of the season, and it completed a hard-fought win for the Knights, who move to 17-13-5 on the year.
Though Pacioretty was particularly outstanding, the entire second line had a great game, combining for five points and finishing with Corsi For percentages over 54 percent at 5-on-5.
It was also a solid effort by Subban, who made 28 saves for his fifth win of the season.
The Knights now hold the second wildcard slot with 39 points and sit one point behind Edmonton and Arizona, though both clubs have a game in hand.
Vegas next takes on the Canucks Sunday at T-Mobile Arena.