Golden Knights need OT to extend win streak vs. Jets

Field Level Media|published: Thu 12th December, 23:07 2024

Dec 12, 2024; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets center Gabriel Vilardi (13) checks Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) in front of Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) in the first period at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

Ivan Barbashev scored at 3:47 of overtime as the Vegas Golden Knights continued their dominance of the host Winnipeg Jets with a 3-2 victory on Thursday night.

Barbashev took a crossing pass from Shea Theodore on a two-on-one break and snapped a wrist shot from the left circle inside the near post and past goalie Connor Hellebuyck's blocker for the game-winner and his team-leading 14th goal.

Victor Olofsson and Keegan Kolesar also scored goals and Theodore added two assists for Vegas, which won its eighth straight regular-season meeting against the Jets.

Adin Hill made 18 saves for the Golden Knights to improve to 6-0-0 all-time against the Jets in his career and 11-0-2 against Western Conference teams this season. The win was also the fourth in a row for Vegas, tying a season-high.

Josh Morrissey and Nikita Chibrikov scored for Winnipeg, while Hellebuyck finished with 33 saves.

Winnipeg, despite being outshot 12-4 in the first period, took a 1-0 lead at the 9:27 mark when Chibrikov buried a rebound of a Vladislav Namestnikov shot into an open left side of the net. It was Chibrikov's second goal of the season and his third in three career NHL games.

Vegas, showing no signs of rust following a rare five-day midseason break, held Winnipeg without a shot on goal over the first 13:01 of the second period and finished with a 22-10 shot advantage after two periods but couldn't get a puck past Hellebuyck, who was aided by numerous blocked shots.

On the night, the Jets blocked 25 shots while the Golden Knights blocked 12.

The Golden Knights tied it 1-1 at 4:34 of the third period. Kolesar scooped up a loose puck along the right boards and fired a wrist shot from the top of the circle past a Nicolas Roy screen and Hellebuyck's glove side.

Morrissey put Winnipeg back in front at 10:55 when he blasted a slap shot from the top of the left circle into the top corner on the short side.

The Jets then were called for tripping penalties by Gabe Vilardi and Dylan DeMelo just 13 seconds apart to give Vegas a five-on-three power play with 2:27 remaining. Olofsson tied it with 38 seconds later with a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle off a Mark Stone crossing pass.

--Field Level Media

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