Golden Knights win in OT on Marchessault penalty shot

Erik Haula hopped over the boards and went full speed toward Golden Knights teammate Jonathan Marchessault at the blue line, intending to give Sunday’s overtime hero a celebratory hug.

But it all went wrong.

Haula’s skates got tangled up with Marchessault in the excitement, and the two tumbled to the ice.

“I’m sure it looked funny, but it was just one of those nights where we just needed that win,” Haula said. “We played great, and it just felt good to get it.”

Marchessault converted on a penalty shot goal with 2:36 remaining in OT, and the Knights also got a two-goal effort from Alex Tuch in a 4-3 victory over Ottawa at T-Mobile Arena.

Ryan Reaves added a second-period goal as the Knights set a franchise record with 53 shots on goal and closed out their season-long, five-game homestand at 3-1-1.

“We just stuck with it and kept working hard,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “I thought we played an excellent game. … If we would have lost, I would have been upset about not getting the two points, but the way we played was outstanding.”

It wasn’t all positive for the Knights, who lost center Cody Eakin with 4:31 left in the first period when he was blasted by Ottawa defenseman Mark Borowiecki and was helped to the locker room following the high hit.

Borowiecki, who returned after serving a one-game suspension Friday for elbowing, was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct for the hit.

Gallant did not provide an update on Eakin following the game, and his status for the two-game road trip that starts Tuesday in Nashville is unclear.

“I’ll know more (Monday) again, obviously,” Gallant said. “Again, they came to me tonight and said he’s done for the game. I haven’t heard (any) more since.”

Marchessault was hauled down by Ottawa’s Mark Stone on a breakaway during overtime, and the announced crowd of 18,089 pleaded for a penalty shot.

The Knights’ leading scorer, who was stopped on both of his shootout attempts this season, looped in from the right wing and beat Senators goaltender Craig Anderson low to the glove side for his sixth goal.

“I don’t know what I’m doing (on breakaways) any more,” Marchessault said. “I’ve been already twice and didn’t score, so I’ve got a few moves — not necessarily moves, more shots. I’m just trying to take what was given, and I got lucky today.”

Tuch deflected in Nick Holden’s shot with 11:43 remaining in the third period to tie the score at 3. He went end-to-end in the second period and slipped a backhander through Anderson’s legs to cut the Senators lead to 2-1.

It was the second career two-goal game for the 22-year-old Tuch, with the other coming March 8, 2018, at Detroit.

“I think the guys battled hard,” Tuch said. “We have to clean up a couple things in the neutral zone and in the defensive zone, but I think overall we played a hard-fought game and I thought we controlled the momentum.”

Ryan Dzingel put the Senators ahead 3-2 in the third period, 28 seconds before Tuch’s second goal. Matt Duchene scored in the first period, and Bobby Ryan gave Ottawa a 2-0 lead in the second period.

Reaves scored for the third time in four games when he jammed a rebound past Anderson for a 2-2 tie with 1:39 left in the second period.

“If you look at last year, that was kind of the identity. We’d have a bad shift or a goal goes in and we’d bounce right back,” Reaves said. “The response from the team is what we needed, and that’s how we have to play.”

More Golden Knights: Follow online at reviewjournal.com/GoldenKnights and @HockeyinVegas on Twitter.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.