Golden Knights outlast Tampa, 5-4

In Las Vegas, the Golden Knights took a 4-2 lead in the first period on Saturday, and held off the Tampa Bay Lighting for a 5-4 win in regulation.

Adin Hill made 20 saves in the Vegas win.

“We played pretty good first and third. We bent but didn’t break in the second,” Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “Overall, pretty good game and good team to beat.”

Corey Perry scored for Tampa in the middle frame to cut the Vegas lead down to one at 4-3 headed for the third stanza.

“It was an unfortunate first and a disappointing third,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “Little disappointed by how it turned out. … This was a night we could have gotten points and we didn’t, so we sit here 10 minutes after the game a little sour. But when I look at the big picture, we got five of the eight.”

Tampa dropped to 35-17-3.

Vladislav Namestnikov staked the Lightning to a 1-0 lead in the first period, Steven Stamkos also scored in the first, after Vegas’ Brett Howden had tied the game, 1-1.

“It was nice to get a quick response like that,” Howden said. “The first five minutes they were pushing hard and we were on our heels a bit. After they scored that to get one right back, put us right back in the game. So it was nice to have that happen.”

Jonathan Marchessault scored the first of his two goals of the period for a 2-2 tie, and bookended Shea Theodore’s strike for a 4-2 lead coming out of the opening frame.

Marchessault ended a 13-game goal drought.

“It’s probably the longest I went (without a goal),” Marchessault said. “You just have to move on. It’s onto the next game. We’ll enjoy it until midnight tonight. Then we’ll try and get better tomorrow.”

In the third, Nicholas Roy hit an empty net for a 5-3 advantage for Vegas.

“We finished the game. That’s what I really liked at the end,” Cassidy said. “Three of the lines got on the score sheet. Typically, that’s what’s been going on lately. It’s tough to get every line on the score sheet every night. … We’re starting to figure it out like the start of the year.”

Tampa picked up a late marker from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare with 11 seconds left on the clock.