Phil Kessel got an assist while playing in his NHL-record-tying 989th consecutive game as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Monday night in Las Vegas.
Nicolas Roy, Chandler Stephenson and Michael Amadio scored for Vegas, and goaltender Logan Thompson made 23 saves.
William Nylander tallied for Toronto, and Ilya Samsonov stopped 30 of 33 shots.
Kessel tied the mark set this spring by now-retired defenseman Keith Yandle. Kessel appeared to open the scoring on the power play just 3:16 into the game, but Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe challenged the play and a video review determined Vegas was offside when entering the offensive zone.
It would’ve been the 400th career goal for Kessel, who can break the ironman record Tuesday at San Jose.
The Golden Knights took the lead just 35 seconds later as Kessel’s shot from the top of the right faceoff circle was stopped by Samsonov, but Reilly Smith corralled the rebound to the left of the net and chipped a pass back across the crease that Roy batted out of midair and into the net. The goal came just one second before the man advantage was set to expire.
The Maple Leafs tied it at 11:42 of the second as Nicholas Robertson won a battle along the left-wing boards at center ice and chipped the puck ahead to create a two-on-one break. John Tavares sent a pass to Nylander in the high slot, and he worked his way around a defender before flicking the puck past Thompson.
Stephenson scored what proved to be the winner just 42 seconds into the third. Samsonov wasn’t able to hold onto Brayden McNabb’s shot from the top of the left faceoff circle, and Stephenson was positioned right in front of the goalie to jam in the rebound. It was Stephenson’s third consecutive game with a goal.
The Golden Knights made it 3-1 at 8:11 of the third as Nicolas Hague picked off a pass at center ice as Toronto was making a line change. Hague carried the puck to the top of the left faceoff circle before sending a pass to Amadio in the slot for a wrist shot that beat Samsonov low to the stick side.
–Field Level Media
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