LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights secured a 2-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night with power-play goals from Mark Stone and Noah Hanifin during the third period.
This win marks the fifth time the Golden Knights have triumphed in their last six matchups, effectively extending their lead in the Pacific Division to a four-point margin over Edmonton.
For the New Jersey Devils, this defeat drops them two points behind Carolina in the race for second place in the Metropolitan Division, following the Hurricanes’ 2-1 overtime victory over Calgary. Furthermore, the Devils were dealt another blow when their leading scorer, Jack Hughes, left the game in the closing minutes with what appeared to be an arm injury. However, Devils’ coach Sheldon Keefe did not provide an immediate update on Hughes’ condition.
Both of the night’s goals resulted from Hanifin’s shots; the first was redirected by Stone, while the second was allowed through without interference.
Jack Eichel contributed with two assists, increasing his single-season franchise record to 26 points while on the power play. In goal, Adin Hill showcased an impressive performance, making 25 saves to record his third shutout of the season.
Devils’ goaltender Jacob Markstrom returned to action, successfully stopping 22 shots after recovering from a knee ligament strain suffered since January 22.
On the defensive end for Vegas, Brayden McNabb celebrated his 800th NHL game, and Zach Whitecloud marked his 300th game milestone.
From the match, it was evident that Markstrom appeared well-rested and provided his team solid opportunities to remain competitive, while the Golden Knights displayed notable improvement during the third periods, a facet they had struggled with in previous games.
A pivotal moment came when Hill stopped a crucial 2-on-1 opportunity by Devils’ Paul Cotter with a glove save 6:17 into the second period.
Statistically, the game highlighted the Knights’ efficiency on the power play, capitalizing on two of their four opportunities in the third period. This improved their already impressive power-play conversion rate, which was third-best in the NHL at 27.9%. In contrast, the Devils boasted the second-best penalty-killing record with an 83.6% success rate.
Next on the schedule, the Devils will travel to face Dallas on Tuesday, whereas the Golden Knights prepare to host a contest against Toronto on Wednesday.
