Golden Knights edge Canucks, grab piece of first place in Pacific

Cole Smith scored the eventual game-winner as the Vegas Golden Knights edged the host Vancouver Canucks 2-1 on Tuesday night.

With the win, the Golden Knights (36-26-16, 88 points) moved into a tie for first place in the Pacific Division with the Oilers. Edmonton holds the tiebreaker edge.

Vegas is now 4-0-0 with John Tortorella behind the bench and 18-14-7 on the road this season.

Brayden McNabb also scored for Vegas, which swept the three-game season series against the Canucks and improved to 11-1-2 all-time in Vancouver. Carter Hart made 10 saves to improve to 5-1-2 in nine career appearances vs. the Canucks.

Max Sasson responded for Vancouver (22-47-8, 52 points), which has dropped three straight and is 1-9-0 in the past 10 games.

Nikita Tolopilo stopped 26 shots for Vancouver, which is 8-27-5 on home ice this season.

With the loss, the Canucks have dropped seven straight against the Golden Knights. Vancouver's last win over Vegas came on April 8, 2024.

Just past the midpoint of the third period, Smith stole the puck just outside the Vancouver zone and fed Nic Dowd down the right wing. Smith took a pass back from Dowd while coming up the center of the ice and fired in a goal that put Vegas up 2-1.

Sasson opened the scoring, snapping a shot that deflected off Vegas defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and stick side past Hart at 12:50 of the second period.

Vegas responded less than four minutes later. McNabb's shot from the point beat a screened Tolopilo at 15:46.

Vancouver managed just seven shots on goal through 40 minutes of play.

The Golden Knights outshot the Canucks 10-2 in a scoreless first period. Vancouver didn't get its first shot on goal until 14:28 into the period -- an attempt from the point by defenseman Victor Mancini.

The Golden Knights picked up a 5-2 win over the visiting Canucks on Feb. 4 and began their current winning streak by doubling up Vancouver 4-2 on March 30 in Las Vegas.