Golden Knights report: ‘PRIDE Knight’ celebrated
Golden Knights vs. Rangers
Knights win 5-1
RJ’s three stars
3. Knights center Brett Howden — He scored for the second time in two games against his former club in the third period. The Rangers traded him to the Knights for a fourth-round pick in the offseason. He has two goals in his other 24 games.
2. Knights left wing Mattias Janmark — He continued his impressive string of games by scoring in the second period. He has five goals in his past five games after scoring two in his first 27.
1. Knights left wing Jonathan Marchessault — He scored two goals after not recording a point in his previous three games. His team-leading 18 goals are tied for the ninth most in the NHL with Calgary’s Andrew Mangiapane and Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel.
Key play
Mark Stone’s second-period goal.
The play started in the neutral zone when center Chandler Stephenson intercepted a pass. He started a counterattack with Stone and right wing Evgenii Dadonov and slipped the puck to Stone at the top of the left circle. Stone sent the puck across the offensive zone to Dadonov, who attempted to pass it back to Stone at the top of the goal crease.
The quick puck movement left Stone with a wide-open net, but he wasn’t able to get his stick on it. He used his left skate to angle the puck into the net instead for his third goal in two games.
The play was reviewed, but upheld when it was determined Stone didn’t use a distinct kicking motion to score. It put the Knights up 2-1 and stood as the game-winning goal.
Key stat
35 — The number of points Stephenson has in 36 games after getting the secondary assist on Stone’s goal.
That’s a career high for the 27-year-old. It’s the third straight season he has surpassed his previous best after getting traded to the Knights for a fifth-round pick on Dec. 2, 2019.
PRIDE Knight
The Knights held their annual “PRIDE Knight” against the Rangers and wore specialty warmup jerseys that were auctioned off. Some players also had rainbow tape on their stick before the game.
The auction benefited The Center, which provides programs, resources and services for the LGBTQIA+ community, and the You Can Play Project, which works to ensure the safety and inclusion of all athletes.
“Anytime we can support it, it’s great,” defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “It’s great to do, and we’re definitely happy to be able to do it.”
Knights’ next 10
Vs. Blackhawks, 7 p.m. Saturday
Vs. Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. Tuesday
At Edmonton, 6 p.m. Jan. 14
At Calgary, 7 p.m. Jan. 15
Vs. Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Jan. 17
Vs. Montreal, 7 p.m. Jan. 20
At Washington, 4 p.m. Jan. 24
At Carolina, 4 p.m. Jan. 25
At Florida, 4 p.m. Jan. 27
At Tampa Bay, 4 p.m. Jan. 29
