Golden Knights down Devils 5-3 for third straight win

Published Dec. 16, 2021 10:02 p.m. ET

Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Nicolas Roy scored the last of Vegas' four straight goals, Robin Lehner made 23 saves and the Golden Knights beat the New Jersey Devils 5-3 Thursday night for their third straight win.

Dylan Coghlan, William Carrier, William Karlsson and Roy scored for the Golden Knights, who have won six of seven and improved to 5-1-1 all-time against the Devils. Jonathan Marchessault added an empty-net goal with 1:07 left.

The Devils lost their fourth in a row and fell to 2-8-2 in their last 12 games. Jack Hughes, Tomas Tatar and Jimmy Vesey scored for New Jersey. Mackenzie Blackwood made 25 saves.

Hughes opened the scoring 1:41 in with his fifth goal of the season. Hughes has three goals in his last seven games.

Coghlan, a last-minute addition to the starting lineup in place of late scratch Shea Theodore, tied it on the power play at 10:27 of the first with his second goal of the season.

Carrier put Vegas ahead at 3:47 of the second with his fourth goal this season. Karlsson got his third of the season at 7:27 of the third, and Roy made it 4-1 just 33 seconds later with his fifth goal.

Tatar scored on the power play at 10:03 of the third, his sixth goal, before Vesey narrowed the deficit to 4-3 with a short-handed goal at 12:29. The goal was Vesey’s fifth this season and his second short-handed.

The Devils were coming of a 6-1 road drubbing by the Flyers on Tuesday after a 4-2 road loss to the Islanders last Saturday.

New Jersey was hosting the Golden Knights for the first time since Dec. 3, 2019, a game won 4-3 by the visitors.

Their previous meeting in Las Vegas was a 3-0 Golden Knights win on March 3, 2020, just over a week before the pandemic ended the 2019-20 regular season. That game also marked Lehner’s first shutout as a Golden Knight.

Vegas was coming off a 4-1 win at Boston on Tuesday to start their four-game road trip. They will also visit the Rangers and Islanders this weekend.

NOTES: Devils D P.K. Subban was held out of the game as a precaution while C Jesper Boqvist was unavailable because he entered COVID-19 protocol. G Akira Schmid also was scratched as Devils newcomer Jon Gillies dressed as Blackwood’s backup. ... Devils D Kevin Bahl played his second game of the season. ... Vegas also scratched Fs Michael Amadio and Adam Brooks. ... Vegas F Max Pacioretty had his seven-game goals streak snapped.

UP NEXT

Devils: Visit Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.

Golden Knights: Visit Rangers on Friday night.

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