Top line luggage six factors as Knights edge Blues

The forward line of Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev and Mark Stone combined for six points as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-3 on Friday in Las Vegas.

Eichel and Barbashev each had a goal and an assist and Stone had two assists for the Golden Knights, who have won their first two games of the season.

Shea Theodore also had a goal and an assist for Vegas, Nicolas Roy added a goal and Adin Hill made 19 saves.

Pavel Buchnevich had two goals and an assist for the Blues, who finished 2-1-0 on their season-opening road trip. Jordan Kyrou logged two assists and Jordan Binnington made 24 saves.

St. Louis sustained early pressure and struck first. Buchnevich took a pass from Kyrou and burst in on left wing to convert a backhand shot for a 1-0 lead 6:47 into the game.

However, the Golden Knights got a big response from their top line. Eichel broke down the middle, took a pass from Barbashev and beat Binnington with a backhand move to tie the game just 1:15 later.

Vegas was dangerous on its first power play, but Stone and Alexander Holtz hit the post with shots as the game remained tied 1-1.

Barbashev put the Golden Knights up 2-1 with 1:47 left in the first period by driving to the net and chipping in Stone’s pass from the right side of the net.

Theodore hammered a follow shot from atop the left circle past Binnington 2:55 into the second period to increase the Vegas lead to 3-1.

Buchnevich scored a power-play goal, finishing off a tic-tac-toe passing play with Kyrou and Justin Faulk, to cut the Blues’ deficit to 3-2 at 7:29 of the second period.

Roy’s deflection of Theodore’s shot from the left point increased the Vegas lead to 4-2 at 12:53 of the third period.

Thomas answered with a breakaway goal from Buchnevich’s pass with 4:56 left.

The Blues pulled Binnington for the extra attacked but failed to tie the game with their final flurry.

–Field Level Media