Golden Knights vanquish Blue Jackets with Brayden McNabb's go-ahead goal

Brayden McNabb scored the go-ahead goal at the 13:13 mark of the third period, and Carter Hart made 26 saves as the visiting Vegas Golden Knights moved into sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division with a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.

Pavel Dorofeyev and Ben Hutton also scored goals, and Mitch Marner had three assists, his second three-point game of the season, for Vegas, which extended its point streak to seven games (6-0-1), tying a season high.

Charlie Coyle and Yegor Chinakhov scored goals, and Jet Greaves made 22 saves for Columbus, which lost its fifth straight game.

The Blue Jackets took a 1-0 lead at the 7:02 mark of the first period when Coyle roofed a wrist shot from the right circle over Hart's right shoulder.

Early in the second period, Vegas tied it on Dorofeyev's power-play goal, a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle. It was Dorofeyev's 13th goal of the season, tying Tomas Hertl for the team lead, and also his eighth power-play score, tied for second in the NHL.

The Blue Jackets appeared to regain the lead at the 2:25 mark when a wide-open Ivan Provorov ripped a shot from the high slot past Hart's blocker side. But the goal came off the scoreboard when Vegas successfully challenged that Miles Wood was offside on the play.

Columbus took a 2-1 lead early in the third period on Chinakhov's first goal in 20 games, a wrist shot from the top of the left circle past Hart's glove side and off the far-right post and in.

Vegas tied it at 2-2 just 63 seconds later when Hutton snapped in a wrist shot from the left circle off a drop pass from Marner.

McNabb then gave the Golden Knights their first lead with a sharp-angled shot from the bottom of the right circle inside the short side top corner. It was his first goal since April 8, 2025, at Colorado.

McNabb picked up a double minor for high-sticking Adam Fantilli with 2:59 to go but the Blue Jackets, who pulled Greaves for an extra attacker and a 6-on-4 power play the final minute, failed to tie it with Chinakhov rattling the post with one shot.

--Field Level Media