In Las Vegas, Jonathan Quick made his first start for the Golden Knights on Sunday, and made 
Quick made 25 saves for the win, and had to hold off the Canadiens in the third as they scored three times to make the back half of the third very interesting in a 4-3 win to the Golden Knights.
“I felt pretty comfortable right from the get-go,” Quick said. “Obviously, just a different setting. Different color jersey. Once you get out there, you’re just trying to play hockey.”
Very comfortable until the third period when the Habs got goals from Mike Matheson, Alex Belzile, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard to first trim the Vegas lead to 3-1, and then tighten the score to 4-3 before the midway point of the frame.
“The biggest thing is how we want to play. I feel like we’re able to generate plenty without the cost of something else,” Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said. “You’re seeing that. I never feel like we’re out of it.”
Vegas improved to 38-19-6.
“It’s a result-oriented business. We won the hockey game. We’ve won some very close games,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Momentum swings both ways. As a coach, you’re hoping they go more your way than the other team’s way more consistently. … It’s not easy to win in this league. I’m a glass half full type of guy, so I appreciate the points, but I’m also a coach, so I’m also looking at correcting.”
Shea Theodore scored in the opening period, and Ivan Barbashev scored the first of his two in the frame for a 2-0 lead to the Golden Knights.
“You’ll see a lot more of [him (Barbashev) going to the net] in his goals. That’s where he goes. That’s where he hangs out,” Cassidy said. “He’s comfortable there right in front of that net. He was ready to use his feet, his stick, whatever was necessary. You’ll see some guys get pucks in those situations that don’t finish because they’re not comfortable in there. He’s very comfortable there.”
The Canadiens dropped to 26-33-4.
Reilly Smith struck in the middle frame to push the Vegas lead to 3-0 headed to the third.
“I liked his game. He got the ‘W.’ He made a big save on a one-timer to get across there,” Cassidy said of Quick. “That’s a save we needed, and he got it.”
Jake Allen made 24 saves in the Habs loss.
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