VGK Open Homestand With 5-3 Win Over Utah Wednesday
Story by Alan Snel Photos by Hugh Byrne
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — The Vegas Golden Knights returned home Wednesday to start a five-game homestand and used a Ivan Barbashev highlight reel goal in a decisive second period to secure a 5-3 win over the Utah Mammoth
Just the facts: Vegas Golden Knights 5 Utah Mammoth 3
VGK goal scorers: Jack Eichel, his ninth on the power play in the first period. Will Eichel rack up 100 points this season?; Victor Olofsson, his fifth also on the power play in the second period. Looks like Olofsson is filling in for Pavel Dorofeyev on the power play first unit’s right side. Ivan Barbashev, demoted to the third line from the first, scored his third goal on a gimme shot into an open net and followed that with his fourth goal on a sweet piece of puck handling sorcery in the second period. Brett Howden was credited with a goal for his sixth in the third period.
Attendance: 17,186 (sellout is 17,367)
Record: 13-5-2 for 28 points
Bottom line: Utah pushed back, cutting a 4-1 deficit to 4-3 before Howden scored in the third.
Next game: VGK vs Nashville on Friday
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