Late goal gives Golden Knights 2-1 win over Sharks

LAS VEGAS — William Carrier scored with 17.7 seconds left to give Vegas a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night and extend the Golden Knights’ winning streak to four games.

Chandler Stephenson set up Carrier with a pinpoint pass to the front of the net, where Carrier was stationed.

Paul Cotter scored the other goal for Vegas, and Adin Hill made 26 saves.

Hill outdueled San Jose’s Kaapo Kahkonen, who stopped 36 shots and was tested by the Knights going on the power play seven times. But Vegas failed to capitalized on any of its chances against the NHL’s fourth-ranked penalty kill. The Knights have converted just one of their past 28 power plays.

That included failing to score on three power plays in the first period, even with six shots with the man advantage and outshooting San Jose 14-4 overall.

San Jose shut down the Knights’ offense in the second, not allowing a shot on goal over the first 11 1/2 minutes.

The Sharks then got it done on the offensive end when Alexander Barabanov scored off a rebound with 2:56 left in the period to take a 1-0 lead.

Vegas nearly tied it 1:26 into third period, but Jonathan Marchessault’s power-play goal was waved off because the referee determined he pushed Kahkonen’s pad over the line.

The Knights finally broke through five minutes later when Jack Eichel fed Paul Cotter for a 2-on-1 breakaway to tie it. That extended Cotter’s goal streak to three games, and Eichel has five points (two goals, three assists) in those three games.

Then Carrier won the game late, and the Knight continued their domination of San Jose, leading 20-2-4 all time.

NOTES: Patrick Marleau will have his No. 12 jersey retired before the Sharks’ home game Feb. 25 against Chicago. He is San Jose’s leader in numerous career categories, including goals (522), points (1,111) and games played (1,607). Marleau, who played in parts of 21 seasons for the Sharks, retired in 2022. … Sharks center Nico Sturm took a puck in his right arm or wrist from Vegas’ Nic Hague early in the first period and went into the locker room.

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Sharks: Host Buffalo on Saturday.