Golden Knights snap two-game skid, top Flames 6-2
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mark Stone had a goal and an assist, Marc-Andre Fleury made 33 saves and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Calgary Flames 6-2 Saturday night.
Tomas Nosek, William Carrier, Paul Stastny, Ryan Reaves and rookie Cody Glass also scored to help Vegas snap a two-game losing streak and remain undefeated at home against the Flames.
Since the Golden Knights joined the NHL in 2017, Calgary is winless in five visits to T-Mobile Arena while being outscored 21-6.
Fleury, who went 2-0-0 with a 0.50 goals-against average and a .984 save percentage last season against the Flames, improved to 13-4-1 in his career against Calgary.
Rasmus Andersson and Johnny Gaudreau scored for Calgary. David Rittich stopped 24 shots in his fifth straight start, and dropped to 2-4 with a 3.67 goals against average in six starts against Vegas.
Nosek got his third goal of the season after William Carrier broke into the zone from the right side and was stuffed by Rittich, who couldn’t locate the puck after making the save. Nosek was there to clean up the rebound and punched it in to give Vegas an early 1-0 lead.
The teams combined for five goals in the second period.
Andersson got it started when he took Mikael Backlund’s pass on a 2-on-1 rush and lasered a wrist shot past Fleury to tie the score.
Just 33 seconds later, Gaudreau got his third of the season when his shot deflected off Vegas forward William Karlsson’s stick and past Fleury to give the Flames a 2-1 lead.
Mark Stone followed his own shot after Rittich’s initial save and slammed the puck through the goalie’s five-hole to tie the score 2-2.
Later in the period, William Karlsson grabbed the puck behind the net and fed Carrier, who backhanded the puck off the crossbar for his second of the season to put Vegas back in front.
The Golden Knights seized the momentum when Stastny grabbed a rebound off the board, skated to the slot and fired a wrist shot under Rittich’s pads to push the lead to 4-2.
Reaves added a goal in the third period when he intercepted a pass near the blue line and beat Rittich with a wrist shot through the pads to extend Vegas’ advantage to three goals.
Later in the period, Glass’ backhanded pass went off Calgary wing Johnny Gaudreau’s pad for his second career goal. Glass has a point in four of first five games.
NOTES: Calgary backup goaltender Cam Talbot will make his Flames debut Sunday, when Calgary finishes up a three-game trip at San Jose. … Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb, who played in his 400th career game, blocked a shot off his left foot in the first period and went off the ice and to the locker room. He later returned. … The game marked the first showdown between the Stone brothers, since Michael’s younger sibling, Mark, was traded to Vegas from Ottawa last season. … Oakland Raiders rookie running back Josh Jacobs cranked the opening-game siren. … Mark Stone has a point in four of Vegas’ first five games and is one assist shy of 200 in his career. … Vegas coach Gerard Gallant is one win shy of his 250th.
UP NEXT
Flames: At San Jose on Sunday.
Golden Knights: At Los Angeles on Sunday.