LAS VEGAS — Brett Howden found the back of the net for the 15th time this season, while Ilya Samsonov made 31 saves to help the Vegas Golden Knights secure a convincing 3-0 victory over the Calgary Flames on Sunday night.
Howden’s goal came late in the second period as he redirected a shot from defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, which tied him with Ivan Barbashev for the highest number of goals on the team. Over the last five games, Howden has scored in four of them, showcasing his current scoring form.
In addition to Howden’s impact, Victor Olofsson and Tanner Pearson also contributed goals for the Golden Knights. Pearson, who assisted Howden’s goal, has now reached a career milestone with 300 points. Notably, the Golden Knights have managed to shut out the Flames twice this season, previously defeating them 5-0 on October 28.
Calgary’s Dan Vladar was busy in the crease, registering 34 saves against a relentless Vegas offense.
With this win, the Golden Knights have extended their winning streak to six games, making it the longest current streak in the NHL. Their season record improved to 25 wins, 8 losses, and 3 overtime losses, and they are a formidable 13-2-1 against teams in the Pacific Division. Conversely, the Flames have struggled against their division rivals, dropping to a 4-4-1 record against Pacific foes and holding an overall record of 17-12-7.
Observations from the game revealed some trends; Calgary faced their fourth back-to-back game set after securing a 3-1 victory against San Jose the previous night. The Flames have had success in the first game of back-to-back schedules with a 3-1-0 performance, but they struggled in the second game, now holding a 1-3-0 record in such situations.
Meanwhile, Vegas showcased their strength in the latter stages of games by netting two goals in the third period, leading the league with a remarkable plus-30 goal differential during that period.
A pivotal moment in the match occurred at the end of the first and into the second period, where the Golden Knights successfully killed off a Flames power play, including a daunting stretch of 5-on-3 for about a minute after Howden was penalized for a high stick on Jonathan Huberdeau. During this critical sequence, Samsonov was sharp, stopping five shots and maintaining the team’s momentum.
A milestone event unfolded for the Golden Knights as Jack Eichel played in his 200th game with the franchise, while head coach Bruce Cassidy also marked his 200th game behind the bench for Vegas.
Looking ahead, the Flames are set to face off against Vancouver on Tuesday, while the Golden Knights will host the Montreal Canadiens on the same day.
