LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Coming off Thursday's 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, the Vegas Golden Knights close their four-game homestand on Saturday night with a matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Returning to full health after a mid-season wave of injuries, Vegas has won four of their last six games. On the road earlier this month, the Knights fell to the Blue Jackets 6-3.
With 13 games left in the regular season, VGK holds a 37-25-7 record and has a two-point lead on the St. Louis Blues for the second wild card spot in the West.
Alex Pietrangelo is missing his third straight game with an illness. VGK head coach Bruce Cassidy says that the defenseman may not travel with the team due to the issue. Fellow defenseman Alec Martinez is also out of the lineup after leaving the Kraken game early with an injury.
3rd
3:03: VGK goal - Pavel Dorofeyev scores to extend Vegas' lead to 3-1. Shea Theodore and Anthony Mantha are on the assist.
6:00: Adin Hill leaves game - VGK goalie Hill gets shaken up and heads for the locker room. Hill had missed a chunk of the season after sustaining a lower-body injury on 11/30 and ultimately returned to full action on 1/23.
2:32: VGK goal - Jack Eichel scores his second goal of the night on a power play to seal the deal for a Knights win.
0:09: Blue Jackets goal - Columbus nets a goal on Logan Thompson in the final seconds.
Final: Golden Knights beat Blue Jackets 4-2, outshooting Columbus 47-20.
2nd
2:45: Successful Vegas PK - With Keegan Kolesar serving two minutes in the box for elbowing, Vegas prevents Columbus from extending their lead.
3:31: VGK goal - Ivan Barbashev scores on the rebound of his own shot to even the score at 1. It's Barbashev's 15th goal on the season.
4:57: VGK goal - 85 seconds of game-time after Barbashev's goal, Jack Eichel strikes to give the Knights a 2-1 lead. It's Eichel's 23rd goal on the season as the star center reaches 500 career points.
End of Period: Knights lead Blue Jackets 2-1 thanks to quick-hitting goals early in the frame.
1st
Starters: Ivan Barbashev, Jack Eichel, and Jonathan Marchessault make up VGK's first line. Recently-acquired Noah Hanifin and Nic Hague are VGK's starting D-man pair. Adin Hill draws the start in goal.
4:32: Blue Jackets goal - Erik Gudbranson scores on Hill to give Columbus an early 0-1 lead.
End of Period: Knights trail Blue Jackets 1-0