Tomas Hertl ripped one home with 32 seconds left on the clock Tuesday night, snagging his second goal of the game and snatching a 3-2 victory for the Vegas Golden Knights over the Pittsburgh Penguins. This wasn’t just another road win, either, it was only the second time in franchise history Vegas has come out on top in Pittsburgh, and it came shortly after the Golden Knights killed a ridiculous late 5-on-3 power play. Talk about drama!
Hertl’s Late Heroics Sink Penguins, PK Woes Continue
That game-winner from Hertl? It was a slick tip off a Mark Stone pass, completely beating Pittsburgh goaltender Arturs Silovs. And get this: it was Hertl’s second power-play goal of the night! That’s right, the Penguins’ penalty kill, playing at home, gave up *two* power-play goals. Ouch. After Pittsburgh forward Tommy Novak, who had a goal and an assist in their third-period rally, took a tripping penalty once things were back to even strength, it opened the door for Hertl’s heroics. That’s a brutal break for the Penguins, sending them to their third straight loss. Adin Hill, the Golden Knights’ goalie, was solid, stopping 23 shots to seal the deal. Vegas, coming off a shootout loss in Boston, definitely found their legs late in this one.
Third Period Rally Not Enough for Struggling Pittsburgh
The game started tight, super tight. Hertl’s sixth goal of the season late in the first period was literally the *only* scoring through the first 40 minutes. Mitch Marner picked up the primary assist on that one, extending his points streak to an impressive 11 games. But then the third period hit, and Pittsburgh finally woke up. Novak and Rickard Rakell, who now has goals in four straight games, erased that one-goal deficit and actually gave the Penguins a brief lead. Trevor Connelly then broke away for Vegas, tying it up with 8:41 left, setting the stage for Hertl’s late-game winner. Silovs stopped 20 shots for the Penguins, who are now reeling, dropping their seventh game in their last nine. Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby couldn’t get on the scoreboard either, remaining tied with Marcel Dionne for sixth on the NHL’s all-time scoring list with 1,771 points. On top of that, they were playing without star forward Evgeni Malkin, who sat out with a lower-body injury. Rough night all around for the Steel City crew.
The Golden Knights continue their road trip on Thursday in Detroit. Meanwhile, the Penguins have to regroup fast, welcoming Boston to PPG Paints Arena on Thursday. They absolutely need to turn things around and figure out that penalty kill if they want to stop this slide.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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