In Las Vegas, Jonathan Marchessault had two goals and picked up four points in a 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.
The win was the seventh straight for Vegas over San Jose and also clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“It’s an accomplishment in this league; 31 teams try to make the playoffs. I don’t overlook that,” Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer said. “I’ve been on the other end of it, scratched and clawed, and missed. Once you get in, all those 16 teams have an opportunity. It’s nice we punched our ticket.”
Marc-Andre Fleury made 31 saves in the win.
The Sharks held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the game.
Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl were the San Jose strikers.
San Jose has lost seven straight and dropped to 18-23-5.
“The hottest team in the League, it’s not just us. We’re a team that doesn’t match up on paper to them,” Sharks head coach Bob Boughner said. “So a lot of things have to go right for us. They find ways to win.”
Marchessault and Mark Stone got the game tied at 2-2.
“Reaching that point where we are right now in the season, I think it’s good,” Vegas’ Shea Theodore said. “Going forward, we’ve got to focus on our game. We have to be ready for the situations that come down the stretch. That’s when you have to rev up and play your best game. It’s good that we’re in, but we have a lot of work to do.”
Alex Tuch gave Vegas a 3-2 lead before the end of the middle frame.
Mattias Janmark added an empty-net goal to seal the win for Vegas.
“The first year, we were just concentrating on winning four games, probably,” Marchessault said. “I think it’s something our group and organization should be proud of. Four straight years in the playoffs, that’s how you build a franchise.”
Josef Korenar made 35 saves in the loss.
“It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, we want to win,” the Sharks’ Marc-Edouard Vlasic said. “We’re focusing on making the playoffs. We’re still in it. Three teams still fighting for that last spot. We can get there, we just have to get points.”
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