3 takeaways from Knights’ win: Eichel celebrates birthday with 3-point game
Jack Eichel wanted a win for his birthday. He probably wanted redemption, too.
The Golden Knights’ star center ensured both happened when he took over in the third period Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Eichel scored twice in the final frame to lead the Knights to a 6-3 win at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, capping off the team’s three-game road trip in style.
Eichel, on his 29th birthday, added an assist for his third game with at least three points. The NHL’s leading scorer has 19 points through 10 games.
“The team’s playing well. I play with some great players and (have) been the benefactor of some great hockey,” Eichel said on the Vegas 34 postgame show. “Tons of credit to the whole group.”
Eichel set up left wing Pavel Dorofeyev’s power-play goal with 1:57 remaining in the first period for his first point of the road trip.
He then made a mistake in the second. Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook stripped the puck from Eichel and scored on a breakaway to tie the game 2-2 with 7:43 remaining until the second intermission.
Eichel made up for the error in the third. He forced a turnover of his own, got sprung for a breakaway and scored to put the Knights up 4-3 with 4:59 left in the game. He added his second goal 2:35 later on a one-timer set up by left wing Ivan Barbashev.
“I think (Eichel) felt bad on one of the goals,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “That’s what great players do.”
Dorofeyev had two goals and center Brett Howden also scored to give the Knights (6-1-3) three of a possible six points during their road trip. They’ve earned points in nine of 10 games this season.
Goaltender Akira Schmid made 21 saves for his fifth win.
Here are three takeaways from the victory:
1. Fourth-line impact
The Knights’ fourth line had its best game of the year Tuesday.
Left wing Cole Reinhardt drew in for center Colton Sissons, who left Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with an undisclosed injury. Howden moved from left wing to center.
The trio was outshot 9-8 at five-on-five, according to the website Natural Stat Trick, but their forecheck was a problem for the Hurricanes (6-3-0) all night.
The group was rewarded when Reinhardt sprung Howden in the neutral zone soon after Carolina center Logan Stankoven gave his team a 3-2 lead 2:31 into the third period. Howden took Reinhardt’s pass and scored 3:39 later to tie the game.
“It’s been a tough trip against some good teams,” Reinhardt said. “We just played (the Hurricanes at T-Mobile Arena on Oct. 20), so we knew what to expect.”
Reinhardt, 25, impressed during training camp with his physicality. He’s shown some offensive touch with two points in four games. He also hit the post Tuesday.
“I like how that line played tonight,” Cassidy said.
2. Dorofeyev starts the comeback
Dorofeyev, who leads the NHL with nine goals, recorded his first multigoal game since his opening-night hat trick against Los Angeles on Oct. 8.
His first goal came on his backhand 6:27 into the first period.
His second goal, which came on a one-timer from the top of the right circle, was the Knights’ first power-play goal in 10 opportunities since captain Mark Stone suffered a wrist injury Oct. 18 against the Calgary Flames.
3. Strong finish
The Knights were searching for answers entering Tuesday. They started the road trip by losing 3-0 to the Florida Panthers on Saturday and 2-1 in overtime to the Lightning on Sunday. They had a combined 36 shots on goal in the two games.
Things were much different against the Hurricanes. The Knights had 35 shots on goal in what Cassidy called a “measuring stick” game. Things don’t get easier moving forward, as they host the Colorado Avalanche on Friday in their annual Nevada Day game to start a six-game homestand.
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
