Mitch Marner’s first night back in Toronto came with a split soundtrack. The Scotiabank Arena crowd cheered, then booed, as the hometown winger skated out in a Golden Knights sweater for the first time Friday and Vegas skated off with a 6-3 win over the Maple Leafs.
“Just excited to go back there,” Marner said pregame. “That building’s meant a lot to me.”
Marner, who spent nine seasons with Toronto after growing up in the area, kept it simple when asked what would be on his mind. “My mind is to go play a hockey game and, you know, try to win a hockey game,” he said. Vegas did just that, riding early offense and late finishing, including two goals from Mark Stone, to close out the road win.
Roles reversed early
The last time these teams saw each other, the night turned into late chaos in Las Vegas. This time, Vegas flipped the script early. Eight days after the Golden Knights needed overtime to beat Toronto 6-5 at T-Mobile Arena, Jack Eichel scored at 1:06 Friday and Keegan Kolesar followed at 4:31 to put Vegas up 2-0 before the period was even halfway home.
Eichel’s opener, set up by Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev, extended his point streak. Stone’s assist pushed his franchise-record point streak another game. Kolesar’s finish came off a play from Jonas Rondbjerg and Reilly Smith, giving Vegas a second early strike and forcing Toronto to chase.
The Golden Knights carried play most of the period, outshooting the Maple Leafs 10-5 even as Toronto controlled the faceoff circle. Adin Hill handled what he saw, Anthony Stolarz kept it from getting away and Vegas did not add on during its lone power play of the period.
From cushion to chaos
Toronto cut into it almost immediately as John Tavares scored 13 seconds into the second to make it 2-1. But Vegas answered fast and hard. Pavel Dorofeyev buried an unassisted wrist shot at 3:32, then Braeden Bowman snapped home another at 5:16 off feeds from Tanner Laczynski and Alexander Holtz to stretch the lead to 4-1.
Dorofeyev nearly made it worse for Toronto moments later when he rang a shot off the left post. Instead, the Maple Leafs flipped the period into a push. Scott Laughton scored at 10:04, then Bobby McMann tipped in a goal at 18:19 to pull Toronto within 4-3 heading to the third.
Hill kept Vegas in front through the swing, stopping eight shots in the period as Toronto outshot the Golden Knights 11-7 in the second.
Lock it down late
Toronto’s push never fully went away, but Vegas steadied itself in the third and found the insurance it needed. Stone scored at 15:11, finishing a play set up by Barbashev to restore a two-goal lead at 5-3 after the Golden Knights spent the early part of the period trading chances with Stolarz holding the line.
The Maple Leafs kept coming and Vegas had to kill a key penalty when Tomas Hertl was called for goaltender interference at 12:37. Hill turned aside Toronto’s best looks, then Stone finished it off with an empty-netter at 19:01, with Eichel and Rasmus Andersson earning assists to seal the 6-3 final.
Up next for the Golden Knights
Next, the Vegas Golden Knights continue their road trip Sunday, Jan. 25, with a visit to the Ottawa Senators. Puck drop is set for 5 p.m. EST (2 p.m. PT).
After that, Vegas heads to Montréal to face the Canadiens on Tuesday, Jan. 27. That matchup begins at 7 p.m. EST (4 p.m. PT).
Finally, the Golden Knights return home to open a homestand Thursday, Jan. 29, against the Dallas Stars at T-Mobile Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PT). Dallas enters at 28-14-9 and Vegas is 24-13-12.
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