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The Vegas Golden Knights broke out of a 10-game stretch of low-scoring performances by defeating the Utah Mammoth 5-3 in Las Vegas on Wednesday, maintaining their perfect record this season when scoring the opening goal.
Vegas, which had averaged just 2.44 goals over its previous nine games, took advantage of a shorthanded Utah squad to put five goals on the board for the first time in 10 contests.
Barbashev Drives Offense with Two Goals
Forward Ivan Barbashev paced the Golden Knights with a two-goal performance. His first goal came at the back door after capitalizing on a whiffed shot attempt by linemate Victor Olofsson. Barbashev added a highlight-reel goal later in the contest, collecting a pass from Olofsson, moving past Mammoth defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and Mackenzie Weegar, and beating goaltender Sebastian Cossa five-hole while falling to the ice after being tripped by Weegar.
Olofsson praised the spectacular effort from his teammate following the game. “[Barbashev] turned a couple guys inside out. It was just cool to see. I was so close; I just watched the whole play, and it was very beautiful,” Olofsson said.
Barbashev was later deployed to defend the lead after Utah pulled Cossa for an extra attacker, but he missed two empty-net attempts that would have secured his second career hat trick. “I sure did [think it was going in],” Barbashev said after the game. “But then it just kept turning and turning.”
Stone Approaches Franchise Scoring Record
Golden Knights captain Mark Stone recorded an assist on Jack Eichel’s first-period goal, bringing his career total to 415 points in 419 games with Vegas. Stone now sits two points behind Jonathan Marchessault, who leads the franchise’s all-time scoring list with 417 points in 514 games.
Golden Knights head coach Ryan Craig previously highlighted Stone’s vision and positioning on the ice. “[Stone] is smart enough to find the right areas, and I think that goes to his hockey IQ,” Craig said in October. “We’ve seen it here, time and time again, since he’s gotten to our organization. He finds ways to get to the right spot. He finds ways to impact the game by being in the right areas, both defensively and offensively.”
Special Teams Success and Lineup Changes
Vegas entered the game having failed to convert on its last six power-play opportunities across two games, but answered early. Just 2:15 into the first period, Eichel fired a one-timer past Cossa following a fake-shot pass from Mitch Marner. The tally gave Vegas the opening goal, extending the team’s record to 9-0-0 when scoring first. The power play struck again 3:07 into the second period when Olofsson scored in transition to put Vegas ahead for good.
The Golden Knights played without defenseman Noah Hanifin, who is listed as week-to-week. However, defenseman Parker Wotherspoon returned to the lineup after missing 13 games with an upper-body injury, logging 15:31 of ice time and drawing the penalty that led to Olofsson’s goal.
Olofsson was playing in just his third game back after also missing 13 games. In addition to his power-play goal, he provided primary assists on both of Barbashev’s scores. “I feel better and better,” Olofsson said. “I think I’ve been a little rusty, but it feels like I’m getting there and feeling more confident. My legs feel a little bit better now after a few games.”
