CALGARY, Alberta (AP) Jonathan Marchessault scored the go-ahead goal and added an assist as the Vegas Golden Knights scored three times in the final two minutes Tuesday night for a 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames.
Just 10 seconds after Erik Haula tied it 2-all at 18:14 of the third period, Marchessault got around Mark Giordano and beat Calgary goalie Mike Smith over his glove.
David Perron scored into an empty net and Reilly Smith also had a goal for Western Conference-leading Vegas (33-12-4) in the opener of a six-game road trip.
Matthew Tkachuk got his seventh goal in the last eight games for the Flames (25-17-8), who lost in regulation for the first time in 12 games. They had gone 7-0-4 since last losing in regulation on Dec. 29. Sam Bennett also scored for Calgary.
The tying goal was a weird one. Calgary forward Michael Frolik got the puck in his own end and ended up firing it toward a surprised Smith. He stopped it with his pad but Haula put in the rebound, stunning the home crowd.
Calgary took a 2-1 lead at 18:43 of the second on a beautiful wraparound goal by Tkachuk.
The 20-year-old faked as though he was carrying the puck behind the net and spun back in the other direction. Not realizing that, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury left both feet to desperately dive headfirst toward the far post, only for Tkachuk to tuck the puck inside the near post.
Trailing 1-0 after the first period, the Flames tied it 6:02 into the second when Bennett slid a puck under Fleury as he cut in off the wing.
Vegas opened the scoring at 16:03 of the first when its sizzling power play converted its first try of the night. As he skated through the slot, Reilly Smith deflected Marchessault's point shot past Mike Smith.
Mike Smith responded right after that with perhaps his biggest stop of the night. Less than 20 seconds later, William Karlsson got behind the Calgary defense, but as he attempted a deke, Mike Smith smothered the shot with his trapper.
Mike Smith finished with 31 stops and fell to 20-14-6.
Fleury, tested 33 times, improved to 13-4-2.
NOTES: Frolik (jaw) was back in the lineup after missing 12 games. He returned to his spot on a line with Mikael Backlund and Tkachuk. ... It was the first of four matchups between the teams this season. ... Haula and Perron extended their point streaks to six games.
UP NEXT
Golden Knights: Play at Winnipeg on Thursday night.
Flames: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.
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