SAN JOSE, California — In a thrilling matchup on Friday night, the Vegas Golden Knights triumphed over the San Jose Sharks with a score of 6-3, thanks to a pair of critical short-handed goals from Brayden McNabb and Jack Eichel, who scored just moments apart during the third period. Alex Pietrangelo made a significant contribution as well, assisting on three goals throughout the game.

The Golden Knights also received scoring support from Noah Hanifin, Mark Stone, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Brett Howden, who each netted a goal. The decisive period saw Vegas score four unanswered goals, securing their fifth consecutive victory and their ninth win in the last ten contests.

For San Jose, the standout player was rookie Will Smith, who recorded both a goal and an assist, while Shakir Mukhamadullin and Tyler Toffoli added to the scoreboard with a goal each. The Sharks held a 3-2 edge early in the third period and were on a power play. However, momentum swiftly shifted to the Golden Knights, with McNabb scoring the equalizer just 1:03 into the period, quickly followed by Eichel’s go-ahead score merely 23 seconds later.

Earlier in the game, San Jose broke a deadlock late in the second period, as Toffoli slid his team-leading 14th goal past Vegas goalie Adin Hill. Toffoli’s goal resulted from a clever bank shot behind the net that deflected off the skate of defenseman Nicolas Hague.

In terms of goaltending, Hill made 22 saves for Vegas, while San Jose’s Alexandar Georgiev managed to stop 30 shots.

Despite competing well during parts of the game, the Sharks struggled late in the match, leading to a disappointing stretch where they have now lost five consecutive games, and eight out of their previous nine, while also dropping 12 of their last 14 overall.

A notable moment before the game included a video tribute honoring Tomas Hertl’s return to San Jose for the first time since being traded to the Golden Knights earlier this year. Hertl played 11 seasons with the Sharks after being selected 17th overall in the 2012 NHL draft and was instrumental in leading the team to the Western Conference Finals in 2019.

In a noteworthy statistic, Mukhamadullin achieved his first NHL goal during the game, marking his second career point. The 22-year-old defenseman was acquired from New Jersey in the Timo Meier trade and was participating in his ninth game.

Looking ahead, the Golden Knights will host the Calgary Flames on Sunday, while the Sharks are set to take on the Flames on Saturday night.