Paul Cotter scored two goals for the Vegas Golden Knights in a 6-2 win against the Washington Capitals at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Nicolas Roy had a goal and two assists, Alec Martinez had a goal and an assist, and Logan Thompson made 20 saves for the Golden Knights (29-16-2), who had lost three straight and finished their seven-game homestand 3-4-0.
“I think this win goes a long way for everyone. It’s a big confidence boost,” Thompson said. “Scoring’s been tough for us of late, and keeping the puck out for the goalies has been tough as well, so I think every position can build off of this.”
TJ Oshie and Marcus Johansson scored for the Capitals (25-18-6), who had won nine of their past 10 road games. Darcy Kuemper allowed four goals on 18 shots before being replaced in the second period Charlie Lindgrenwho made seven saves.
“I’m not going to get too much into it,” Washington coach Peter Laviolette said. “We weren’t good. They were the better team, and we’ll get ready for the next one. There are things that we can go back and try to get better at.”
The Capitals played without a captain Alex Ovechkin, who did not take part in the morning skate and is day to day with a lower-body injury. Laviolette said he was unsure whether Ovechkin would be able to return against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
“There’s always things that are going on with players,” Laviolette said of Ovechkin’s injury. “Alex is usually really durable, but this is something that he wasn’t able to skate this morning and it took him out of the lineup tonight.”
Video: WSH@VGK: Martinez hammers loose puck for opening goal
Martinez gave the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead at 2:17 of the first period, scoring from the bottom of the left face-off circle. Chandler Stephenson‘s shot from the right circle caromed to him off the cross bar.
It was the first time in six games that the Golden Knights scored the first goal of a game.
“I think when you have a lead and things haven’t been going your way you start to feel better about yourself,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Right away, you’re like, ‘Maybe it’ll be my night, too.’ When I saw [Stephenson’s] shot went off the bar I’m like, ‘Oh God, here we go,’ but good for ‘Marty’, he needed a goal as much as anybody.”
It was the first goal of the season for Martinez and his first since April 27 (43 games).
Video: WSH@VGK: Marchessault, Roy link up to extend lead
Roy made it 2-0 at 7:36 when he converted a pass from Jonathan Marchessault on a 2-on-1.
Michael Amadio pushed it to 3-0 at 2:15 of the second period. Stephenson intercepted Nick Jensen‘s pass along the boards and fed Amadio, who was alone in the slot and shot over Kuemper’s glove.
Byron Froese increased the lead to 4-0 at 12:04 when his shot from the left face-off circle hit the post and deflected off Kuemper’s skate.
“We’ve got guys out of the lineup so there’s opportunities for other guys to step up,” Martinez said. “In order to be successful in this league, you can’t be top-heavy, you’ve got to score and contribute by committee, and I think guys did that on both ends of the ice.”
Video: WSH@VGK: Cotter backhands home his second goal
Cotter made it 5-0 at 13:38, sliding a backhand under Lindgren’s left pad off a pass from Roy after Washington turned the puck over again in its own zone.
Oshie cut it to 5-1 at 18:20, working with a give-and-go Erik Gustafsson and redirecting the return pass from the slot.
Cotter’s backhand from the slot pushed it to 6-1 at 3:59 of the third period, and Johansson scored at 10:41 for the 6-2 final.
“We’re not exactly in a super-comfortable position where we can have games like this right now, especially with [Ovechkin] not playing,” Oshie said. “Usually you lose a guy like it’s the next man up, everybody has to pull a little bit harder on the rope, and that wasn’t the case tonight.”
NOTES: Martinez and Alex Pietrangelo were each plus-5. … Froese’s goal was his first since Feb. 9, 2021, when he was with the Calgary Flames. … The six goals matched the most the Capitals have allowed this season (6-3 loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 13). … Washington is 0-4-1 in regular-season games in Las Vegas.
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