Shea Theodore scored the game-winner with 32.5 seconds remaining as the Vegas Golden Knights extended their franchise record for the best start to a season with their seventh straight win, a 3-2 decision over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Theodore crept in from the point and fired a wrist shot from the top of the left circle through heavy traffic and past a screened Carter Hart for his second goal of the season.
Vegas extended its NHL record for most wins to begin a season by a reigning Stanley Cup champion.
Paul Cotter and Ivan Barbashev also scored goals, Jack Eichel had two assists and Logan Thompson finished with 26 saves for the Golden Knights.
Noah Cates and Cam Atkinson found the net and Hart made 26 saves for Philadelphia.
Vegas jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 6:54 mark of the first period. Barbashev, stationed in the low slot, backhanded a rebound of an Eichel shot under Hart’s pads for his second goal of the season.
Cates tied it midway through the opening period when he tipped in a rebound of a Joel Farabee shot into an open right side of the net for his first goal.
The Flyers took a 2-1 lead with 2:41 to go in the first thanks to a gaffe by Thompson. Atkinson drove down the left wing near the boards and then whipped the puck toward the goal. Thompson stuck his blocker out to knock down the puck, which would have sailed wide of the goal. Instead, the puck caromed down off the ice and into the net for Atkinson’s fourth goal of the season.
Cotter tied it 2-2 with 7:54 left in the third period with a highlight-reel score. He broke down the right wing and deked defenseman Egor Zamula with a between-the-skates move before snapping a wrist shot inside the far post for his second goal of the season.
–Field Level Media
