The forward line of Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev and Mark Stone combined for six points as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-3 on Friday in Las Vegas.
Eichel and Barbashev each had a goal and an assist and Stone had two assists for the Golden Knights, who have won their first two games of the season.
Shea Theodore also had a goal and an assist for Vegas, Nicolas Roy added a goal and Adin Hill made 19 saves.
Pavel Buchnevich had two goals and an assist for the Blues, who finished 2-1-0 on their season-opening road trip. Jordan Kyrou logged two assists and Jordan Binnington made 24 saves.
St. Louis sustained early pressure and struck first. Buchnevich took a pass from Kyrou and burst in on the left wing to convert a backhand shot for a 1-0 lead 6:47 into the game.
However, the Golden Knights got a big response from their top line. Eichel broke down the middle, took a pass from Barbashev and beat Binnington with a backhand move to tie the score just 1:15 later.
Vegas was dangerous on its first power play, but Stone and Alexander Holtz hit the post with shots as the score remained tied 1-1.
Barbashev put the Golden Knights up 2-1 with 1:47 left in the first period by driving to the net and chipping in Stone’s pass from the right side of the net.
Theodore hammered a follow shot from atop the left circle past Binnington 2:55 into the second period to increase the Vegas lead to 3-1.
Buchnevich scored a power-play goal, finishing a tic-tac-toe passing play with Kyrou and Justin Faulk, to cut the Blues’ deficit to 3-2 at 7:29 of the second period.
Roy’s deflection of Theodore’s shot from the left point increased the Vegas lead to 4-2 at 12:53 of the third period.
Thomas answered with a breakaway goal from Buchnevich’s pass with 4:56 left.
The Blues pulled Binnington for the extra attacker but failed to tie the score with their final flurry.
–Field Level Media
