Golden Knights top Ducks to match wins record
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- James Neal scored the decisive goal and Maxime Lagace registered 17 saves as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 on Wednesday.
Vegas (13-6-1) notched its third consecutive win, matching the NHL record for most wins by a team through the first 20 games of its inaugural season.
Jonathan Marchessault paced the Golden Knights with a goal and two assists.
Anaheim (10-8-3) allowed 40 or more shots against for the fourth straight game. John Gibson made 45 saves in the loss. The Ducks three-game win streak was snapped.
Neal scored the eventual winner, his 11th of the year and the third consecutive Las Vegas goal, after Anaheim started the game up 2-0. It came at 11:18 of the third period. He chipped the puck behind a fallen Gibson from directly in front of the net. Marchessault and William Karlsson gained the assists.
Josh Manson opened the scoring for Anaheim at 9:16 of the first period, his third goal. He rushed the puck through center and fanned on a wrist shot inside the Vegas blue line. The puck slid past the skates of Vegas defender Colin Miller. Manson picked it up, deked right, and shot low through Lagace's legs. Brandon Montour assisted.
Mike Liambas fought William Carrier early in the first period in retaliation for Liambas's hit on Brendan Leipsic. Liambas has played four career games. He has two fights.
The Ducks made it 2-0 at 5:59 of the second period, Derek Grant getting his fifth of the season, on the power play. Cam Fowler threw a backhand pass to Hampus Lindholm along the blue line. Lindholm drifted in and fired a wrist shot. Grant redirected the puck past Lagace from directly in front of the netminder.
The Golden Knights got the game to 2-1 on Marchessault's power-play goal at 19:07 of the middle period. Marchessault put a one-timer along the ice through Gibson's legs from the left faceoff dot for his sixth goal. The pass came from David Perron at the opposite point. Shea Theodore drew the second assist.
Vegas tied the game 2-2 at 2:21 of the third period on Miller's third goal of the season. Neal controlled a puck that came from behind the Ducks' net. Neal passed to Perron, who backhanded the puck to the point for Miller. Miller's wrist shot from the point went between Gibson's arm and body.
The Golden Knights added a final tally at 18 minutes on Karlsson's 10th of the season. His previous high was nine goals.
NOTES: The Ducks scratched D Korbinian Holzer, D Francois Beauchemin and D Jaycob Megna. ... The Golden Knights scratched D Jon Merrill and LW Tomas Nosek. ... Each team has six players on injured reserve. ... Vegas G Marc-Andre Fleury (concussion) observed practice from ice level this week but did not participate. ... The Golden Knights' two leading scorers, LW David Perron and C William Karlsson, formerly played for the Ducks. ... The Ducks honored C Antoine Vermette for playing his 1000th NHL game last Wednesday.