Gatcomb's late goal lifts Golden Knights over Canucks
Marc Gatcomb scored the winner late in the second period as Vegas extended its winning streak over Vancouver to eight games.
VANCOUVER — Marc Gatcomb scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 at Rogers Arena on Sunday.
After Jonathan Lekkerimaki tied the game 2-2 for the Canucks, Gatcomb restored the lead 34 seconds later with his first goal since signing with Vegas as a free agent.
Gatcomb said the quick response was huge for the game after Hill would want the tying goal back.
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Mitch Marner and Victor Olofsson also scored and Adin Hill made 17 saves for the Golden Knights (2-1-0), who bounced back from a loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
Paul Cotter scored and Kevin Lankinen made 25 saves for the Canucks (2-2-0), who were playing the second game of a back-to-back.
Cotter opened the scoring on a power play late in the first period, extending his season-opening point streak to four games with four goals and two assists.
"For a team that everybody in the world has said, 'This (team) is going to be last in the League,' I'm pretty happy with how we've been doing," said Cotter.
Marner tied the game early in the second period with his first goal of the season, and Olofsson put Vegas ahead on a power play midway through the frame.
Lekkerimaki tied it again with a sharp-angle shot before Gatcomb answered quickly for the Golden Knights' fourth line.
"Those three guys just buzz," Marner said. "It's great to see."
Hill, making his first start of the season, made nine saves in the third period to preserve the win.
"Obviously, the second goal there, I got to have that one back, but the guys responded well and scored the next shift, which was huge," Hill said.
After scoring 17 goals over their first three games, the Canucks managed just 19 shots against Vegas.
Lankinen stopped all but one of eight shots faced while the Canucks were shorthanded for nearly eight minutes.
The Golden Knights have now won eight straight games against Vancouver dating to Dec. 19, 2024.
Canucks centre Elias Pettersson had one assist to extend his point streak to all four games this season.
Up next: The Canucks begin a six-game road trip on Thursday night against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Golden Knights visit the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday.
With files from The Globe and Mail, Yahoo Sports and Abbotsford News