NHL: Late Hertl Goal Ends Penguins' Three-Game Skid
Vegas Golden Knights recorded their second franchise victory in Pittsburgh history with a 3-2 win, stopping Arturs Silovs for 20 shots.
By Lucas Collins ·
Tomas Hertl scored with 32 seconds remaining in regulation to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night. The tip-in from a pass by Mark Stone past goaltender Arturs Silovs marked the second goal of the game for Hertl. This result secured the second win in franchise history for Vegas in Pittsburgh.
The Golden Knights found momentum late in the game after killing a 5-on-3 power play. Shortly after the teams returned to even strength, Pittsburgh forward Tommy Novak was called for tripping. Hertl capitalized on the ensuing man advantage, scoring his second power-play goal of the night. The Penguins allowed their second such goal on their home ice, extending their losing streak to three games.
Adin Hill stopped 23 shots for the visiting Golden Knights. The team showed improved play in the third period following a shootout loss to the Boston Bruins on Monday. Trevor Connelly tied the score with 8:41 left in regulation on a breakaway. That goal came after Tommy Novak and Rickard Rakell erased a one-goal deficit to briefly lead the Penguins in the third period.
Rakell scored for a fourth straight game during the Pittsburgh rally. Silovs stopped 20 shots in the loss, which was the Penguins' seventh defeat in their last nine games. Captain Sidney Crosby did not record a point but remains tied with Marcel Dionne for sixth on the NHL all-time scoring list with 1,771 points. Forward Evgeni Malkin sat out the game with a lower-body injury.
The first two periods produced only one goal, a sixth of the season for Hertl in the late first period. Mitch Marner provided the primary assist, extending his points streak to 11 games. The teams played on more even terms in this rematch, occurring a little over two weeks after the Golden Knights defeated the Penguins in Las Vegas.
The Golden Knights will continue their road trip in Detroit on Thursday. The Penguins are scheduled to host the Boston Bruins at PPG Paints Arena on the same day.
