Golden Knights Thump Avs to Extend Best-Ever Start by an NHL Expansion Team
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Oscar Dansk got his third win in his third career game, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Colorado Avalanche 7–0 Friday night to extend the best start ever by an NHL expansion team.
The Golden Knights improved to 8-1-0. They've won five straight, matching the longest winning streak ever by a team in its inaugural season, joining the New York Rangers (1926–27) and Edmonton Oilers (1979–80), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Dansk stopped 32 shots in his second career start. The 23-year-old has been thrust into action after injuries to starter Marc-Andre Fleury and backup Malcolm Subban and has allowed three goals on 74 shots - a .960 save percentage.
James Neal got his seventh goal, and David Perron, Oscar Lindberg, Cody Eakin, Jonathan Marchessault, Erik Haula and William carrier also scored. Nate Schmidt had two assists.
Semyon Varlamov allowed all seven goals on 21 shots.
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After a scoreless first period, Colorado outshot Vegas 10–1 during the first eight minutes of the second. The Golden Knights then scored four goals over the final 11:10 of the period.
Perron began the barrage after intercepting Nail Yakupov's pass and using a nifty deke to backhand the puck over Varlamov's stick.
Three minutes later, Lindberg made it 2–0 when he stole the puck in the neutral zone, beat three Avalanche defenders and then bested Varlamov.
Eakin notched his first goal of the season after Neal drilled a pass off the end boards. Neal later tipped in Collin Miller's wrist shot from the right point, extending Vegas' lead to 4–0.
In just his second game off the injured reserve list, Marchessault poked home a loose puck five minutes into the third to make it 5–0. In his first game off IR, Haula smacked a one-timer from Marchessault for a power-play goal to make it 6–0.
Carrier took a pass from Brad Hunt and went stick side past Varlamov to finish the scoring.
NOTES: The Golden Knights will play eight of their next nine games—and 14 of their next 20—on the road. ... After a 4-1-0 start, the Avalanche are in a 1-4-0 skid. ... Colorado played 11 back-to-back games last year, finishing 4–7 on the back end. It is now 0-2-0 in the second game of the first two of the 11 it will play this season. ... Colorado defenseman Tyson Barrie had a six-game point streak snapped.
UP NEXT
Colorado: Hosts the Blackhawks on Saturday night.
Vegas: Plays the Islanders in Brooklyn on Monday night.