John Locher/AP
Vegas Golden Knights center Paul Cotter, second from right, celebrates after scoring against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Las Vegas.
Published Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023 | 2:31 p.m.
Updated Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023 | 3:20 p.m.
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It was only fitting that the Golden Knights would score a touchdown on Super Bowl Sunday.
Seven different Vegas skaters scored — including Jack Eichel and William Carrier — and the Golden Knights won their third straight game out of the All-Star break, 7-2 over the Anaheim Ducks at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday.
Since entering their bye week on a 1-5-2 stretch and falling out of first place in the Pacific Division, the Golden Knights (32-18-4) have outscored their opponents 17-4 in the three games out of the break and are on their first winning streak since Dec. 31 - Jan. 5.
Along with Carrier's two-point game, Phil Kessel had a goal and an assist and Chandler Stephenson added an assist for Vegas' new-look third line. That trio has combined for 15 points since they were put together five games ago.
"We're all different, right?" Carrier said. "I'm more of a physical guy, but it seems to work [playing with two skill players]."
Brett Howden scored his first goal since Oct. 18, and the Golden Knights extended their first-place lead in the Pacific Division back to three points over the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings.
Shea Theodore had a goal and an assist for his first multipoint game since Dec. 5, and Phil Kessel scored for the third time in five games.
Whether it's easily attributed to the Golden Knights needing a mental reset with the bye week, or just needing rest altogether, the Golden Knights have turned things around drastically. They scored 16 total goals in their final eight games before the break. That includes the six they scored against the Washington Capitals on Jan. 20.
The credit for that stretch can go to the Carrier-Stephenson-Kessel line. They have been the most consistent line, even amidst Vegas' offensive struggles.
"We're trying to create internal competition," coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We're on the same team, but in terms of pushing each other, we'd like to keep these lines the way they are. They seem to have balanced recently."
Adin Hill made 23 saves in the Golden Knights' first game without All-Star goalie Logan Thompson, who is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Vegas recalled Laurent Brossoit from AHL Henderson on Saturday.
After undergoing offseason hip surgery, Brossoit made his first appearance in a Golden Knights sweater this season.
Cotter scored for the second straight game 2:08 in to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead. Howden, who recently returned after missing two months due to a lower-body injury, made it 2-0 at 8:07 of the second period.
Theodore restored the two-goal lead six minutes into the third period, a response following Anaheim's lone goal from Frank Vatrano, and Kessel made it 4-1 just 1:21 later.
Eichel, who ended a nine-game goal drought Wednesday at Minnesota, scored for the second straight game and had an assist.
Hindsight is always 20-20, but the Golden Knights would be happy to just take any wins they could get coming out of the break. Winning over an inconsistent Nashville team, a Minnesota squad that was on the second night of a back-to-back, and now an Anaheim team that's heading for the draft lottery once again doesn't scream confident resume-building.
Vegas will have only six more games the rest of the month with a sporadic schedule before things start picking up in March (15 games in 31 days). Considering how things were going, this change of pace is welcomed for the Golden Knights.
"We don't have a lot of games this month, so take advantage of the ones we do," Cassidy said. "We've got to keep accumulating points."
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
