Pavel Dorofeyev scored his second career NHL hat trick in a 5-1 Vegas Golden Knights victory against the Boston Bruins at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday.
Brett Howden and Ivan Barbashev also scored for the Golden Knights (40-28-8), who have lost four of their last five. Jack Eichel, Brandon Saad, and Noah Hanifin all had two assists each, while Adin Hill made 18 saves.
“It was a tough road trip for us and traveling back home,” Saad said. “It was nice to have a few days to kind of regroup and recharge. We did a good job of making a statement tonight.”
Dorofeyev Breaks 30
The hat trick pushed Dorofeyev’s total goals to a team-leading 30 on the season, making him the fifth player in Golden Knights history to hit the mark, joining Eichel, William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, and Max Pacioretty.
He scored in a variety of ways, scoring from both circles and down low in the slot.
“He’s just a natural goal scorer,” Hanifin said. “If he gets an opportunity and a Grade-A chance, he’s going to score and capitalize, and getting players like that is pretty rare. So, we’re happy to have him here.”
Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said he saw signs of Dorofeyev’s growth in training camp this season. Dorofeyev is blossoming under Cassidy, as the 24-year old’s goal total continues to climb each season.
“He puts the work in,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He put a lot of work in this summer; he’s progressively gotten better through our organization. That’s usually a tell of a guy that’s working. It’s not just luck one year. … He’s found the right line, a good spot in the power play. All that aside, he’s earned it. He’s done a lot of the right things. All the right things, really.”
While time will tell if Dorofeyev can find his groove in the playoffs is what Cassidy wants to see next, but if Dorofeyev’s growth has been any indication, he will be ready to go when the lights shine brightest.
Karlsson Returns To Golden Knights
Karlsson played 19 shifts for 15:54 of ice time. He looked to have not missed a beat, making places on both the offensive and defensive end. Karlsson found the scoresheet in the third period when he found Howden on the rush to give the Golden Knights a 3-0 lead early in the third period.
“I liked his game a lot. I thought he did some good things,” Cassidy said. “He had an assist on Howie’s goal and started with typical William Karlsson, grabbing pucks down low on our end, playing good defense, and being in the right spot. I think he made a couple plays to [Reilly Smith]. Good on the kill.
“So, yeah, check the box tonight. Helped us win a game as usual.”
Never letting up
The Golden Knights have been hit or miss at points during the season when closing out opponents. It hurt them in Buffalo, where they lost a 4-3 shootout loss to the Sabres by trying to make the pretty, perfect play.
Instead, Vegas looked to continue attacking in the third period with a two-goal lead. They pushed it to 5-0 and were two minutes away from shutting out the Bruins.
“I’m happy that we didn’t take our foot off the gas and went for that third, and eventually, the fourth, and so on,” Karlsson said. “We need to keep that mentality going forward as well.”
Paul Delos Santos is the Las Vegas sports insider for Dice City Sports. Follow him on X at @PaulDelos_.
