The Vegas Golden Knights beat the Nashville Predators 5-2 on Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena, scoring twice in the third period. Brett Howden scored and added an assist, and Vegas improved to 6-2-0.
Nashville struck first on an O’Reilly backhand at 3:55, but Vegas answered. Jack Eichel and Trevor Connelly scored even-strength goals for the Golden Knights, while O’Reilly also finished with an assist. Nashville fell to 2-2-2.
Key Moments: How Vegas Pulled Away
The game opened with four goals in the first 13 minutes. O’Reilly beat Vegas goaltender Adin Hill on a backhand at 3:55 for a 1-0 Predators lead, assisted by Filip Forsberg. Tomas Hertl answered less than three minutes later at 6:46, tying it 1-1 off assists from Raphael Lavoie and Howden. Eichel then tipped in a Brayden McNabb shot at 12:48 to put Vegas ahead 2-1 after one period.
Nashville tied it again in the second when Edstrom scored a wrist shot at 8:45, assisted by Nicolas Hague and O’Reilly. Vegas answered before the period ended as William Karlsson scored off a Mitch Marner and Rasmus Andersson feed at 17:44, making it 3-2 heading into the third.
The Golden Knights put the game away in the final period. Connelly scored on a wrist shot at 4:49, assisted by Noah Hanifin and Dylan Coghlan, and Howden capped the scoring with a tip-in at 6:24 off assists from Andersson and Mark Stone. Vegas outscored Nashville 2-0 in the third after the teams traded goals in each of the first two periods.
Top Performers
Howden led all Vegas skaters with two points on a goal and an assist. Andersson recorded two assists from the blue line to go with a plus-3 rating, the best mark of the game. Hill stopped 25 of 27 shots for a .926 save percentage in net for Vegas.
O’Reilly paced Nashville with a goal and an assist for two points. Forsberg logged seven shots on goal in 23:06 of ice time but did not find the scoresheet beyond his first-period assist. Predators goaltender Juuse Saros allowed five goals on 25 shots for a .800 save percentage.
Golden Knights Vs. Predators By The Numbers
Nashville actually outshot Vegas 27-25 and won the hits battle 25-13, but the Predators also gave the puck away 24 times compared to 15 giveaways for Vegas. Nashville’s lone short-handed goal of the night came from its penalty kill, but it was not enough to offset five even-strength and tipped goals from the Golden Knights. Vegas won 53.8% of its faceoffs compared to 46.2% for Nashville, and both teams went 0 for their combined five power-play chances. Vegas also blocked 19 shots to Nashville’s eight.
What It Means
Vegas sits atop the Pacific Division with 12 points through eight games, two points ahead of Seattle, according to the official standings. The win also gave the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead in the season series between the two clubs. Nashville, meanwhile, dropped to sixth in the Central Division with six points, with the Predators now 2-2-2 on the year and still searching for consistency in the early going.
What’s Next
Vegas continues its road trip, having beaten the Los Angeles Kings and the Toronto Maple Leafs this month. Nashville looks to rebound at 2-2-2.
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