In Las Vegas, it ended up being a game of hot potato and who really wanted to win the game between the Golden Knights and visiting Carolina Hurricanes.
The Canes scored four times in the third period to erase a 1-3 deficit entering the frame to take a 5-4 lead.
Cody Eakin’s goal with under four minutes left in regulation got the Knights even and forced extra time which settled nothing.
Andrei Svechnikov was credited with the game-deciding goal in the skills portion of the evening’s festivities.
“There’s no quit in this team,” Carolina’s Sebastian Aho said. “They played a really good first period, and we were kind of off, but I have to credit them because they were good. We went to work and didn’t stop believing. You could feel it on the bench. That’s a good feeling.”
Aho scored his 30th of the year.
James Reimer made 33 saves in the win.
Max Pacioretty, Jon Merrill, Shea Theodore, and Chandler Stephenson scored for the Golden Knights.
“Not a good game from us,” Jonathan Marchessault said. “Overall, it was just a bad game. Gave away too many chances, kind of played on our heels in the third period.”
The Carolina surge in the final frame was completed when Martin Necas gave them a 5-4 lead.
“Strange game,” Vegas head coach Peter DeBoer said. “I was worried a little bit about the game coming off the road. I thought we really started well, I liked our first period. … I thought the second and third we didn’t manage the game well.
Erik Haula in his return to Vegas after being traded to Carolina.
“It was pretty crazy,” Haula said. “Even when we came out for warmups and came out for the game, I wasn’t surprised. It was the norm. It felt good.”
Teuvo Teravainen and Haydn Fleury scored for the Canes.
“They pushed, and we turned pucks over and took some penalties,” DeBoer said. “Some uncharacteristic things. We’ve been playing some real solid hockey for a while, and the second and third, I thought, we were our own worst enemy.”
[WATCH: All Hurricanes vs. Golden Knights highlights]
Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves in the loss.
“Not a good game from us,” Marchessault said. “Overall, it was just a bad game. Gave away too many chances, kind of played on our heels in the third period.”
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