Max Comtois scored with 7:42 to go to break a scoreless tie and John Gibson stopped 21 shots for his third shutout of the season as the visiting Anaheim Ducks handed the Vegas Golden Knights a 1-0 loss on Thursday night.
It was the sixth goal of the season for Comtois, four of which have come in four games against the Golden Knights, who had a three-game winning streak snapped and lost for the first time in regulation in nine home games (7-1-1) this season. It was Gibson’s 22nd career shutout.
Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 27 saves in suffering his first loss of the season (5-1-0) for Vegas. Fleury was making consecutive starts for the first time since Feb. 20-22, 2020, after expected starter Robin Lehner was scratched after suffering an upper-body injury during the team’s morning skate.
Vegas, which won a wild 5-4 game in the front half of the back-to-back on Tuesday night, was outshot 13-4 in the first period and managed a season-low 11 shots over the first two periods.
Anaheim had the best scoring chance in the opening 20 minutes but Troy Terry’s shot from the left circle bounced off the far post.
The Golden Knights’ best scoring chance came midway through the second period when Nicolas Hague’s shot from the left point hit the post. A few minutes earlier, Fleury made a highlight-reel save to thwart Isac Lundestrom at the end of an odd-man rush, diving across the crease and extending his arm left arm along the ice to stop Lundestrom’s backhand try.
Fleury came up big again early in the third period when he stopped Ryan Getzlaf on a breakaway following a turnover by Max Pacioretty. Comtois finally broke through with 7:42 to go when he one-timed Rickard Rakell’s pass from behind the net over Fleury’s right shoulder and into the upper left corner of the net.
Vegas pulled Fleury for an extra attacker with 1:20 left and managed just an Alec Martinez wrist shot that Gibson turned away.
–Field Level Media