NHL Game Recap: Vegas Golden Knights Stay Hot, Defeating Dallas Stars 3-2

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Dallas Stars 12/6/2024

The Stars lost 3-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday, December 6th, at T-Mobile Arena. This had been the second straight loss Dallas took, the first being against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, losing 3-2. Before these two losses, the Stars had a three-game winning streak that began after a 6-2 loss against the Chicago Blackhawks on November 27th. With this victory, the Golden Knights have won three games straight after getting shutout 6-0 against the Utah Hockey Club on November 30th. Mark Stone made his return after missing the previous 14 games due to a lower-body injury, and he picked up an assist in his comeback. The Stars head back to Dallas on Sunday to host the Calgary Flames, and the Golden Knights head out to Winnipeg to take on the Jets on Thursday, December 12th.

Dallas Stars Lineup:

Robertson – Hintz – Johnston

Marchment – Duchene – Stankoven

Benn – Steel – Dadonov

Back – Bourque – Blackwell

Heiskanen – Lyubushkin

Harley – Dumba

Lindell – Lundkvist

Oettinger

DeSmith

Vegas Golden Knights Lineup:

Barbashev – Eichel – Dorofeyev

Hertl – Roy – Kolesar

Howden – Karlsson – Olofsson

Pearson – Schwindt – Holtz

Hanifin – Peitrangelo

McNabb – Theodore

Hague – Korczak

Hill

Samsonov

Tomas Hertl opened the scoring later into the first frame to put the Golden Knights ahead 1-0 with 4:37 on the clock. In the low slot right after the face-off, Mark Stone sent the puck to Hertl, who finished his pass on the power play for his ninth goal of the season. Before this, it appeared that Jason Robertson had scored the game-opening goal, however, Vegas successfully challenged it. Robertson had poked it free after Adin Hill already had his glove on the puck.

Tying it up to 1-1 with the first Dallas goal – Mavrik Bourque struck at 13:21 of the second period when he stuffed in a shot underneath Adin Hill’s left pad after a misplay with the puck by Kaeden Korczak along the end boards, and Bourque got ahold of it at the right post before putting in his second goal of the season. Jack Eichel took back the Vegas lead, breaking the tie to make it 2-1 with 4:20 remaining in the middle frame with a power-play goal. He took a pass from Shea Theodore in the bottom of the left circle, one-timing it with 1:25 left on the power play. Not long after the second Vegas goal, Nicolas Roy increased the Golden Knights’ lead to 3-1 for his sixth of the season with a shot off the post, scoring blocker side after he collected the puck along the left boards, and avoided Logan Stankoven’s stick check.

Mason Marchment cut the Golden Knights’ lead to 3-2 late in the third with 2:34 remaining in regulation while Jake Oettinger had been pulled for an extra attacker. This goal marks Marchment’s 12th of the season, and it was his fifth goal in the past five games.

Jason Robertson on disallowed goals early in the game, penalties, record at home, and difference on the road compared to last season: “I think it just motivates you to go get another one – Yeah, that’s definitely not a good recipe to win. A lot of stress on your killers and Jake. So, we got to clean that up. I know it’s not been an issue this year, so I’m sure it’s a one-off,” – “Our record is really good at home for a reason, we show up to play. So, the next, I don’t know, 2-3 weeks, we’ll be at home, and we’re going to have to come out strong. …It’s just one of those things. A good road team last year, not great at home, and this year we’re great at home, not on the road. So, obviously, we want to find that balance.”

Notes:

– Jake Oettinger made a total of 25 saves for Dallas.

– Adin Hill made a total of 38 saves for Vegas, and Shea Theodore picked up a pair of assists.

– The Vegas Golden Knights have won eight games this season by just one goal, tying with the Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, and Colorado Avalanche.

– Tomas Hertl has scored a total of seven power-play goals this season, which ties for second in the NHL.