Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
Just the facts: Toronto Maple Leafs 4 Vegas Golden Knights 3 in shootout
Storyline: Down 3-1 in the third period, VGK came back to tie game at three and snag a point; Leafs’ William Nylander scored game’s first goal and only goal in shootout.
Attendance: 17,911
VGK goal scorers: Keegan Kolesar (power play, third of season), William Karlsson (5th), Alex Pietrangelo (6th)
Shots on goal: VGK 34 Leafs 18
VGK record: 23-14-2 for 48 points
Next VGK game: Against Pittsburgh Monday at T-Mobile Arena
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After some morning excitement of Golden Knights player Jack Eichel skating with his new teammates at practice for the first time, the team hosted the dangerous Toronto Maple Leafs this evening.
Vegas got off to a slow start at T-Mobile Arena. Leafs forward William Nylander scored a mere 1:24 into the game when he broke in on VGK goalie Robin Lehner and deked the netminder out of position and slipped the puck past Lehner’s left skate.
The Golden Knights tied the game thanks to a power play goal from an unlikely source.
Keegan Kolesar, who positioned himself in front of the crease, slammed a goal past Leafs goalie Jack Campbell and Kolesar’s third goal of the season knotted the game at one after the first period.
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The Knights were hurting on defense with regulars Shea Theodore, Nic Hague and Alec Martinez out. Forwards Max Pacioretty, Nic Roy and Nolan Patrick were also out.
Daniil Miormanov is in the VGK lineup on defense.
Midway through the middle stanza, Toronto’s high-powered young center, Auston Matthews, put in a goal off a scramble around the net and the Leafs re-took the lead at 2-1.
The Leafs struck again.
Ilya Mikheyev scored close to the VGK net, tucking the puck past Lehner and the Knights were down, 3-1.
After two periods, the Leafs led, 3-1.
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But after the Knights couldn’t score on a power play to begin the third period, it was William Karlsson registering his fifth goal of the season.
Less than two minutes into the third period, the VGK had their deficit down to 3-2.
Alex Pietrangelo scored the equalizer for the Knights on a 5-on-3.
Off to overtime the game went with the Leafs and VGK knotted at three.
There was no scoring in the OT.
And Nylander gave Toronto a second point on the night when he beat Lehner in the OT.