PITTSBURGH — Tomas Hertl scored two power-play goals, the second with 32 seconds left in regulation, and the Vegas Golden Knights (10-5-2) rallied past the Pittsburgh Penguins (5-8-2) 3-2 on Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena.
Vegas, playing the second night of a back-to-back after Monday’s shootout loss at Boston, led 1-0 through two periods and then had to come from behind in the third. Pittsburgh scored twice in the first 10 minutes of the period to take a 2-1 lead, Trevor Connelly tied it on a breakaway, and after the Golden Knights killed a 5-on-3 Penguins power play that lasted 1:22 with the game tied, Tommy Novak tripped Mark Stone — and Hertl cashed in the power play that followed for the winner.
Hertl opened the scoring at 16:36 of the first period, backhanding in a rebound of a Mitch Marner shot from the slot with Hendrix Lapierre in the box for interference. Jack Eichel and Marner assisted — the first power-play goal Pittsburgh has allowed at home this season.
The second period was scoreless, and the game turned in the third. Novak tied it at 1:07, putting in a rebound of a Kaedan Korczak point shot for his fifth goal of the season. Rickard Rakell gave the Penguins their first lead at 9:58, lifting one past Adin Hill from the left side for his fifth goal and a goal in four straight games, with Novak and Korczak assisting.
Connelly answered at 11:19, taking a breakaway in alone and beating Arturs Silovs with a backhand-to-forehand move inside the left post. It was the rookie’s sixth goal of the season, tying him for the league lead among rookies. Jeremy Lauzon assisted.
The turning point came late. With the game tied, Pittsburgh got 1:22 of 5-on-3 time and could not score — Vegas finished the night 6-for-6 on the penalty kill, and the Penguins‘ power play went 0-for-6. Then Novak, who had a goal and an assist in the period, was called for tripping Stone, and with 32 seconds left Stone fed Hertl across the crease and Hertl roofed it for his seventh goal of the season and team-leading fifth on the power play. Stone has now factored in on 71 game-winning goals, a Golden Knights franchise record, and Eichel‘s second assist gave him 22 points this season. Marner‘s first-period assist extended his point streak to 11 games.
Hill made 23 saves for Vegas; Silovs stopped 20 for Pittsburgh. The Penguins outshot the Golden Knights 25-23. Pittsburgh has lost three straight and seven of its last nine. Vegas, which won in Pittsburgh for just the second time in franchise history, snapped a two-game losing streak and took three of four points on the back-to-back.
Up next: the Golden Knights continue the road trip Thursday at the Detroit Red Wings, 5 p.m. MST on Scripps Sports and KnightTime+. The Penguins host the Boston Bruins on Thursday.
Article provided by Sports Tracker
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