Knights top Ducks for 5th straight win
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Shea Theodore, Cody Eakin, William Karlsson and David Perron registered goals, and Malcolm Subban made 27 saves as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Wednesday night.
Vegas (24-9-2) won its fifth consecutive game and remained undefeated in regulation play through 10 games (9-0-1), the longest point streak by a team in its inaugural NHL season. Vegas leads the season series 3-0.
Anaheim (16-14-8) had a two-game winning streak snapped. Rickard Rakell registered the lone Ducks' goal, and John Gibson made 24 saves.
Anaheim took a 1-0 lead on Rakell's 11th goal at 1:40 of the first period. The Ducks applied heavy forecheck pressure that led to Jakob Silfverberg retrieving a point shot by Brandon Montour for a feed from behind the net. Rakell's wrist shot cleanly beat Subban.
Vegas tied the game at 1-1 on Theodore's third goal of the season at 17:50 of the first period. Anaheim defenseman Kevin Bieksa left Theodore unchecked as he penetrated from the blue line, allowing Theodore to beat Gibson with an uncontested wrist shot. Tomas Nosek and Oscar Lindberg registered assists.
The Golden Knights took a 2-1 lead on Eakin's fifth goal of the season at 15:12 of the second period. Eakin stepped out of the penalty box after gaining possession of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare's clearing pass and stepped around Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm to gain entry into the Anaheim zone. Gaining separation from Lindholm allowed Eakin to fire a wrist shot thru Gibson's five-hole for the lead score.
Vegas extended its lead to 3-1 on Karlsson's 17th goal of the season 28 seconds into the third period. Jonathan Marchessault intercepted a drop pass by Anaheim's Josh Manson and fed Karlsson, who had a step on Chris Wagner after the turnover. Karlsson shoveled a backhander past Gibson's glove at the goal mouth for the score.
Perron added an empty-netter, his eighth goal of the season, at 18:47 of the third period to complete the scoring.
NOTES: Referee Dan O'Rourke reached a milestone, officiating his 1,000th NHL game. ... Vegas scratched D Brad Hunt and C Ryan Carpenter. ... The Golden Knights finish their short two-game road trip Thursday in Los Angeles. ... Vegas RW Reilly Smith played in his 400th NHL game. ... C Ryan Kesler's return was an unexpected holiday gift for the Ducks. The veteran, who had missed the entire season while rehabbing from offseason hip surgery, was activated prior to the game. ... Anaheim did not dress D Korbinian Holzer, C Dennis Rasmussen, C Derek Grant and D Andy Welinski.