Adin Hill repays Golden Knights after goal, shuts down Canucks

Adin Hill answered a second‑period lapse with a strong third‑period showing, helping the Vegas Golden Knights secure a 3‑2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday. The goaltender stopped 18 shots, including all eight he faced in the final frame, to preserve the win in Las Vegas’ first road game of the season. Hill’s lone blemish came midway through the second period when Jonathan Lekkerimaki’s sharp‑angle effort slipped past his pads at 2:06 remaining, knotting the score at 2‑2 after Vegas had taken a 2‑1 lead. “Obviously the 2nd goal, I privation that 1 back,” Hill said after the game. Vegas responded instantly. Four‑line winger Marc Gatcomb netted his first goal as a Knight just 34 seconds later, giving the Golden Knights a 3‑2 advantage that held as the game‑winner. In the third period Vancouver outshot Las Vegas 8‑2, but Hill turned aside every challenge, notably denying Elias Pettersson’s wrist shot that would have tied the contest in the dying seconds. “That’s immoderate large saves down the agelong there,” Mitch Marner said. “Good assurance builder for our team, arsenic well.” Sunday marked Hill’s first regular‑season start since April 9 and his first appearance in the preceding 28 games, which include playoff action. Carter Hart had tended the crease during the Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup Final and opened the season, while Hill remains under a $6.25 million contract for the current campaign. Coach Ryan Craig has not detailed how he will split duties between Hart and Hill, noting that recency favors Hart but emphasizing that both netminders will see ice time. “It should springiness him immoderate confidence. It should springiness our squad immoderate confidence,” Craig said. “I deliberation ‘Hilly’ would beryllium the archetypal to archer you that helium didn’t similar the 2nd goal. What I liked was our squad picked him up and scored close aft that.” Hill credited his teammates for creating traffic and clearing sight lines, saying they did a large occupation creating box‑outs and allowing him to spot the puck when the shot came toward him. The Knights will practice every other day through Oct. 18, with a back‑to‑back road trip against Minnesota and Nashville on Oct. 12‑13 all but guaranteeing Hill another start. “It’s bully to get a triumph and get backmost with the guys,” Hill said. “I had a amusive night.” **Up next** Who: Golden Knights at Kraken When: 6:40 p.m. Tuesday Where: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle TV: KMCC‑34 Streaming: KnightTime+ Radio: KVGS 107.9 FM