Martinez returns, sparks Golden Knights to overtime win over Chicago

It was Alec Martinez’s first game with the Golden Knights in four months and they trailed by three goals Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Leave it to Martinez to be the one to speak up.

With Vegas' season hanging in the balance, the Golden Knights rallied with three goals in the initial three minutes of the third period, and Evgenii Dadonov's game-winner in overtime propelled them to a 5-4 come-from-behind win over at T-Mobile Arena for a fourth straight home victory.

The Golden Knights were 0-57-0 all-time when going into the third period trailing by three goals prior. It took 3:16 to tie the game, as the Golden Knights earned a hard-fought two points to keep up in their playoff chase.

This day belonged to Martinez, however, who said it crossed his mind that he would never play again. The defenseman had not played since Nov. 11 against Minnesota when he took a skate to the face. The laceration across his left cheek required about 50 stitches.

"Probably one of the toughest things I've ever gone through in my career," Martinez said.

On top of the cut, coach Pete DeBoer later revealed Martinez took a boot to the head in conjunction, leaving possibility for a concussion. Martinez played all of last season's playoffs with a broken foot, but did not miss a single game as Vegas reached the league's semifinals.

To miss this amount of time for anything, let alone this, took a toll on him.

Martinez did not want to get into details of what the past 135 days and 53 games missed were like in trying to get back, but he was thankful to everyone that got him to the point of playing 13:48 on a third pair with Zach Whitecloud on Saturday.

"I come back to a 5-4 overtime win," Martinez said. "It doesn't get much better than that."

While Martinez may not have done anything noteworthy numbers-wise, his leadership made up for it. With injuries to two-thirds of their leadership group, the Golden Knights coaching staff named Martinez one of the alternate captains prior to the game.

After outscoring opponents 16-5 in their last three home games, the Golden Knights were held goal-less through 40 minutes. Jonathan Toews and Dylan Strome scored four minutes apart late in the second to give Chicago a 3-0 lead into the second intermission.

Soft-spoken in front of a microphone, Martinez has been known to speak loud and clear around his teammates. Dadonov said Martinez was saying normal leadership stuff, but later spilled the beans.

To further elaborate, Martinez quipped, "that was coming from the guy who hasn't been in the room for four-in-a-half months, and here I am, running my mouth."

"I didn't say anything no one's ever heard before," he continued. "I've said the same thing other leaders have said. ... The guys did it. It wasn't anything because of what I said."

Whatever happened in that 15-minute span in the locker room, it might have saved the Golden Knights' season.

Chandler Stephenson opened the scoring 1:24 into the third. William Karlsson tipped a shot from the high slot 59 seconds later to cut it to one, and Jack Eichel tied it 53 seconds after to send the home crowd into a state of euphoria.

Blackhawks forward Alex DeBrincat gave Chicago the lead back after beating Logan Thompson short side. Less than a minute later, Pietrangelo's shot from the point beat a screened Kevin Lankinen with Mattias Janmark in front to tie the game.

Between Karlsson's and Pietrangelo's goals, the Golden Knights got to the tough areas to get on the board, an area offensively that's been sorely lacking the past month.

"We got guys that can make so many plays. When we get inside, we can make plays off of that," Pietrangelo said. "Obviously, Karly with a great tip, and I don't score if Janny's not in front of the net like that."

Given how this week has gone, it was only fitting Dadonov scored the game-winning goal, giving him five points in two games since a trade that would've sent him to Anaheim was reversed by the league.

Dadonov scored in his fourth straight game and is swiftly closing in on his fourth 20-goal season.

"Like I said last time, it's been a stressful couple of days," Dadonov said. "We should stop talking about it. All I'm thinking about right now is making our final push for the team to make the playoffs."

Health will be one way for the Golden Knights to make a fifth straight run at the postseason, and getting Martinez back helps. ESPN reported after the game that Robin Lehner could be back within a week, an added boost to the goaltending momentum Thompson has provided them.

Vegas placed forward Reilly Smith on long-term injured reserve to open the door for a Martinez return, but his presence will help solidify the blue line despite still being down Nic Hague (undisclosed) and Brayden McNabb (upper body).

Martinez may not have put up the numbers, or readied a powerful one-timer from the circle on the power play. But he's back, and he's a healthy body. That's all the Golden Knights need right now.

"On a personal level, great to see," DeBoer said. "Unless you see what he's been through day-to-day over the last four, five months and how hard it's been for him to sit out and continue to take a step forward and two steps back, it was great to see him. Really energized our group on a night we needed some energy and juice. He's a real leadership piece for us."

Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.