3 takeaways: Knights score late, head into break on winning streak

Given the month that it’s been for the Golden Knights, they couldn’t have picked a better way to go into a two-week break.

All it took was rallying from two goals down in a time when offense has been hard to come by.

Tomas Hertl scored the go-ahead power-play goal with 1:10 remaining, and the Knights rallied for a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday at TD Garden. Following Thursday’s win at New Jersey, the Knights (33-17-6) earned back-to-back victories for the first time since winning three straight from Jan. 2-7.

The Knights will now go their separate ways for the next two weeks because of the 4 Nations Face-Off. Five players will report to the round-robin tournament, while the rest will take that time to recharge.

The Knights next host Vancouver on Feb. 22.

The Knights trailed Boston 3-1 with 4:53 left in the second period after goaltender Ilya Samsonov misplayed the puck from below the goal line, and Bruins left wing Morgan Geekie capitalized for the two-goal lead.

The Knights got one back with 34 seconds left in the period on a fortuitous bounce. Defenseman Zach Whitecloud’s shot from the point was saved by Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman, but he lost control of the puck to where it went underneath his pads and crossed the goal line.

Pavel Dorofeyev tied it 4:54 into the third with his 23rd goal of the season.

“We showed how good we could be,” Hertl said. “Sometimes you just have to stay with it because not every time the goals are coming, but I think the last two games have showed us we can play really good hockey.”

Dorofeyev appeared to have his second of the game with 1:42 remaining on the power play for the late lead, but captain Mark Stone interfered with Swayman in the crease to take the goal off the board.

Herlt scored the winner 32 seconds later on the same man advantage.

Stone scored a power-play goal in the first period, and Samsonov made 21 saves against the Bruins (27-24-6).

“Tons of credit to the guys,” center Jack Eichel said. “Down two, never quit and find a way to win.”

The Knights were 3-8-3 in their previous 14 games before winning at New Jersey, ending a four-game losing streak in what coach Bruce Cassidy called their most complete 60-minute game of the season.

They followed that with coming back after falling behind two goals twice for their third win in their past four trips to Boston. Cassidy, the former Bruins coach, is 2-1 at his former arena in three seasons with the Knights.

“I liked our game. Our transition was good,” Cassidy said. “Between the blue lines, I think we managed pucks. We got through there with speed at times.”

The Knights were scrounging for answers for the past month. Not only were losses piling up, but they were close. Ten of their 11 losses since Jan. 9 were either tied or one-goal games at some point in the third period.

They felt like they were starting to get rewarded for their play, especially defensively, on Thursday. Saturday was more of the same theme. Boston had 24 shots, but the Knights held them to 12 in the final two periods combined.

There will be a lot of celebrating on these 4 Nations vacations.

“We had chances. We spent a lot of time in the offensive zone,” Hertl said. “If you keep doing it, the bounces are going to come your way.”

Here are three takeaways from the win:

1. Olofsson hurt

Right wing Victor Olofsson did not return after suffering an upper-body injury on the first shift of the game.

Olofsson, skating on the top line, appeared to take a puck to the throat less than a minute in.

Cassidy said Olofsson is feeling better, but the team will have a better idea when it returns home.

2. Samsonov stands tall

The fumbling of the puck that led to Geekie’s goal was a notable blemish on Samsonov’s otherwise strong night.

Cassidy has talked about needing the goaltenders to make timely saves. Samsonov made a number of them Saturday, but two stood out.

He made a lunging, cross-crease glove save on Geekie on a two-on-one with 12:23 left in the first to preserve a 1-0 Boston lead.

Then with seven minutes left in regulation, tied 3-3, Samsonov went from left to right to stop center Pavel Zacha on a two-on-one to keep the game tied.

Samsonov battled traffic for most of the night, especially on the first two goals he gave up. But if not for those two saves, the game’s trajectory could have changed, along with the discussion surrounding another close loss.

3. Eichel near the top

The Knights’ single-season assists record will soon belong to Eichel, and it’s not even March yet.

The star center had two helpers in the third period, giving him 50 on the season to tie him with former winger David Perron (2017-18) for the most in team history.

Eichel is four shy of tying his career-high (54) set in 2018-19 with the Buffalo Sabres, and will head into the break with 69 points — tied for sixth in the NHL.

“I think I’ve always been pass-first. Whatever role or whatever play is there to be made, I just try to make that play,” Eichel said. “I just try to make the right play when it gives me that opportunity.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.