Knights win inaugural game by beating Stars
DALLAS -- James Neal scored both goals and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 45 of 46 shots for the Vegas Golden Knights, who won their inaugural regular-season game, defeating the Dallas Stars 2-1 on Friday at American Airlines Center.
Vegas became the first expansion team to win its first game since Ottawa and Tampa Bay in 1992.
Neal scored his first goal with 9:33 remaining in regulation, when he sent a wrist shot past Kari Lehtonen, who relieved Stars starting goaltender Ben Bishop after Bishop was injured early in the third period.
Neal, a former member of the Stars, netted the eventual game-winner with 2:44 remaining when he roofed a wrist shot from the right circle into the top of the Dallas net to make it 2-1.
Tyler Seguin had the lone goal for Dallas.
Seguin redirected a slap pass from Devin Shore into the right side of the Vegas net for the game's first goal with 2:59 remaining in the second period. With Dallas on the power play following a holding penalty on Colin Miller, Seguin put the Stars ahead 1-0 with his deflection.
The Golden Knights nearly tied the game with 53 seconds remaining before the second intermission when it appeared Stars defenseman John Klingberg had knocked a shot from Brendan Leipsic into his own net. However, video review ruled that the referee had whistled the play dead prior to the puck crossing the line.
Leipsic's initial wrist shot from the slot had gotten under Bishop, who fell backwards on the play.
Lehtonen left the ice with 51 seconds remaining in the game, but Dallas couldn't find the equalizer with the extra attacker.
NOTES: The Golden Knights scratched D Brad Hunt, D Jon Merrill and D Griffin Reinhart. ... The Stars scratched RW Adam Cracknell, D Julius Honka and D Greg Pateryn. ... Golden Knights C Cody Eakin, LW James Neal and RW Reilly Smith are all former Dallas Stars. ... Stars G Ben Bishop, who grew up in Frisco, Texas, where the Stars practice, made his Stars debut. ... Prior to puck drop, moments of silence were held to honor Promise Hamilton, a Stars employee who died over the summer, Dave Strader, a Dallas broadcaster who passed away Sunday, and to honor victims of the recent Las Vegas shooting. ... Current and former Stars owners in Dallas: Norm Green, Tom Hicks and Tom Gaglardi, performed the ceremonial puck drop.