Pacioretty Lifts Golden Knights Past Ducks In OT
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Pacioretty scored 7 seconds into overtime to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night.
Vegas rallied for the win after William Karlsson tied it with 1:22 left in regulation.
Pacioretty's goal was the fastest to start a period in franchise history.
Marc-Andre Fleury, who came into the game 15-4-0 with a .927 save percentage and 1.95 goals-against average against the Ducks, stopped 21 shots.
Max Comtois scored for Anaheim and John Gibson had 31 saves to fall to 2-10-2 in his career against Vegas.
The Golden Knights controlled the tempo in the first period, outshooting the Ducks 14-6 and keeping Gibson busy. But it was three defensive gems that helped keep Anaheim off the board.
First it was Brayden McNabb on his stomach, poking the puck from Sam Steel to prevent a 2-on-1 attack. His defensive partner, Alex Pietrangelo, also thwarted a 2-on-1 attack from his stomach when he blocked a cross-ice pass by Troy Terry in front of the goal. And Fleury had a poke check as Steel was driving to the net with 1:00 left in the period during a power play to keep the game scoreless.
Catching Vegas overly aggressive in the offensive zone, the Ducks capitalized on a 3-1 rush when defenseman Jacob Larsson found an open seam to get the puck to Comtois, who was waiting at the doorstep to punch it past Fleury. It was Comtois' 10th career goal, four of which have come against the Golden Knights. Comtois also scored Anaheim's only two goals in Thursday's 5-2 season-opening loss against Vegas.
Gibson had a couple of highlight saves of his own in the first half of the second period, stopping Chandler Stephenson and Reilly Smith on short-handed chances during the same power play, before Comtois gave him a 1-0 lead.
Gibson came up big early in the third, when Vegas established a quick 3-on-2 rush. Mark Stone was able to squeak the puck through the slot for Max Pacioretty, who was skating in on the right but was stoned by Gibson.
Fleury caming up with multiple big saves in the third to keep Anaheim's lead at one, hoping for goal support at some point.
That would come with Fleury on the bench, and Vegas using the extra attacker. Stone found Jonathan Marchessault down low on a bang-bang play that ended up on the end of Karlsson's stick for the one-timer that tied the score.
UP NEXT
Ducks: Open a four-game homestand Monday, the first of two against Minnesota.
Golden Knights: Host Arizona on Monday for the first of four straight games against the Coyotes.