thetelegraph
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mark Stone inched closer to etching his name atop the Vegas Golden Knights' record book, picking up an assist in a 5-3 triumph over the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday night. Stone's helper on Jack Eichel's power-play goal at 2:15 of the first period pushed his career total with Vegas to 416 points, leaving him just two shy of Jonathan Marchessault's franchise mark.
Ivan Barbashev provided a pair of second-period goals, while Carter Hart turned aside 14 shots to help the Golden Knights open a five-game homestand with their fourth consecutive win. Mitch Marner chipped in with three assists, and Victor Olofsson also had a productive night, scoring a power-play goal at 3:07 of the second before setting up both of Barbashev's tallies at 4:51 and 8:16 — the latter coming on a breakaway.
Utah made things interesting when Dmitri Simashev cut the deficit to 4-3 at 9:07 of the third period, but Brett Howden responded just 1:12 later, threading a shot through traffic to restore Vegas' two-goal cushion. Lawson Crouse scored in the first period for the Mammoth and later assisted on Jack McBain's second-period goal, while Sebastian Cossa made 23 saves in the loss.
Key Analysis
Stone's pursuit of the franchise record adds another layer of intrigue to a Vegas team that is hitting its stride at the right time. With four straight wins and a balanced attack led by Barbashev, Marner, and Olofsson, the Golden Knights appear to be finding their rhythm as they continue their homestand. Utah, meanwhile, showed resilience but ultimately fell short against a deeper Vegas squad.
Up next, the Mammoth will host St. Louis on Thursday night, while the Golden Knights welcome Nashville on Friday night.
_ See AP's full NHL coverage here.
Originally reported by thetelegraph.