Vegas defeated Calgary 6‑2 on Thursday, using a blistering start to set the tone. Brett Howden opened the scoring just 25 seconds into the game, giving the Knights an early advantage that coach Ryan Craig praised, saying, “We were ready to play,” and “It’s nice to get one early there.”
The momentum continued when Jack Eichel added a short‑handed goal midway through the first period, extending the lead to 2‑0. The Knights kept the Flames off balance, limiting Calgary’s offense while piling on goals, tying their season‑high in total goals scored.
Calgary briefly sparked a comeback when Jake Middleton scored a short‑handed goal, but Vegas responded 48 seconds later with Braeden Bowman’s power‑play marker. Bowman explained the team’s approach, noting, “I think we just got back to our game,” and “The recipe that we know is successful: getting pucks behind teams, playing to our strengths, forechecking, and the offense takes over from there.” Coach Craig added, “We talk about those reset shifts. That was one from the second unit,” calling it a “Big moment in the game.”
The third period saw captain Mark Stone record a natural hat trick, sealing the win and ending any hopes of a Calgary rally. Bowman reflected on the victory, saying, “It’s always nice to get out to the lead,” and “But I thought more than the goal, I thought we played the right way.”
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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