LAS VEGAS — Tomas Hertl kept up his scoring form as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Sunday.
Building on his momentum from the previous game where he achieved a hat trick, Hertl scored his 31st goal of the season, putting Vegas ahead 2-0 in the first period.
Earlier in the first, Nic Roy scored his 11th goal, followed by Jack Eichel`s 24th, extending the Golden Knights` lead to 3-0. Nic Hague sealed the win with an empty-net goal, while goalie Ilya Samsonov recorded 35 saves in his 199th NHL appearance.
For Tampa Bay, Nick Paul and Nikita Kucherov each scored, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 26 saves.
Key Points
Lightning: Concluding a three-game road trip after stops in Dallas and Salt Lake City, the Lightning lost to the Utah Hockey Club 6-4 on Saturday. They have now suffered defeats in five of their last eight games.
Golden Knights: Vegas has a strong 11-3-2 record since February 6, earning the fifth-most points in the league during this period with 24 points.
Turning Point
Late in the third period, Hertl left the game with a possible upper-body injury. He collided with the boards after being pushed by Tampa Bay’s Emil Lilleberg, who received a penalty for boarding, following a breakaway attempt stopped by Vasilevskiy.
Stat to Note
Despite both teams having strong power plays, Vegas ranked 2nd and Tampa Bay 5th in the NHL, they only converted 2 out of 8 power play opportunities combined.
Looking Ahead
The Golden Knights will start a three-game road trip at Minnesota on Tuesday, while the Lightning will begin a three-game home series against Pittsburgh.
