LAS VEGAS — Pavel Dorofeyev made a significant impact in the matchup against the Minnesota Wild, scoring a pair of power-play goals and providing an assist as the Vegas Golden Knights surged in the third period to secure a 4-1 victory on Sunday night.

With this win, the Golden Knights matched the NHL’s elite teams, including Washington and Winnipeg, each amassing 61 points while successfully sidestepping their first potential three-game losing streak of the season.

Tomas Hertl contributed to the victory with a goal and an assist, alongside Keegan Kolesar, who netted the decisive goal. Mark Stone and Shea Theodore both recorded two assists, and Adin Hill showcased his skills by stopping 15 shots.

For the Wild, Ryan Hartman was the sole scorer, while goaltender Filip Gustavsson managed to stop 32 shots on goal.

Although Jack Eichel, the leading scorer for the Golden Knights with 54 points, was sidelined due to illness, the team welcomed back center Nicolas Roy, who had been out for 11 games due to an upper-body injury.

This encounter marked a poignant moment for Marc-Andre Fleury, the Wild’s goaltender, as it was likely his last appearance at T-Mobile Arena unless both teams face off in the playoffs. Fleury was a key player for the Golden Knights from their inception in the 2017-18 season until 2021 and remains one of the franchise’s most beloved figures.

Though he did not participate in the game against his former team, Fleury was honored by fans who chanted his name, and the Golden Knights paid tribute to him with a video salute during the game’s first timeout, furthering the warm reception during the final minutes.

Observations from the Match:

The Wild initially took the lead at 1-0 but struggled to maintain their advantage. In the second period, they were heavily outshot 17-6 as the Golden Knights began to take control of the game.

For the Golden Knights, Dorofeyev’s two power-play goals highlighted their effectiveness, marking four power-play goals over the span of four games.

A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Kolesar scored off a rebound from Zach Whitecloud, giving Vegas a 2-1 lead just over four minutes into the third period.

An interesting statistic to note: it took 3 hours and 43 minutes of game time for the Golden Knights to score again in five-on-five scenarios, with Kolesar’s goal breaking that dry spell.

Looking ahead, the Wild will play host to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night, while the Golden Knights are set to face the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.