On Friday, the Vegas Golden Knights (13-6-8) kicked off a five-game road trip against the New Jersey Devils (16-11-1). After both teams had a goal disallowed, the Golden Knights got on the board in the dying seconds of the first period. Akira Schmid stood tall, stopping all 24 shots he faced in a 3-0 victory.

In the first period, the Golden Knights were the better team. They were sharp right from puck drop, recording the first five shots on net. The Devils scored at 8:17 in the period, but after successfully challenging for offside, the Golden Knights resumed their dominance. They outshot the Devils 13-5 and generated five high-danger chances while allowing none.

The Golden Knights broke the ice and got on the board with just 12.7 seconds remaining in the first period. Jack Eichel danced around Jesper Bratt and found Shea Theodore all alone in the right circle. Theodore dusted the puck off and ripped a shot that beat Jacob Markström far-side. 

In the second period, the Devils flipped the script and controlled possession. They outshot the Golden Knights 11-7 and generated five high-danger chances to Vegas’ four. Akira Schmid was excellent, making big save after big save to maintain his team’s one-goal lead.

The Devils maintained their offensive push in the third period, but to no avail. Despite outshooting the Golden Knights 8-5, they couldn’t crack Akira Schmid. 

The Golden Knights scored an insurance goal at 15:36 on the power play. Pavel Dorofeyev set Mitch Marner up for a one-timer from the point, and Tomáš Hertl redirected it home.

Less than two minutes later, Hertl drew a penalty, effectively ending the game. 

With 1:24 remaining in the third period, the Golden Knights added insult to injury on the ensuing power play. Jack Eichel walked the line and fired a wrister from the point. Jacob Markström made the save, but couldn’t control the puck, and Ivan Barbashev swiped the rebound into the net.

Golden Knights add insult to injury with a late power play goal. Jacob Markström can’t secure Jack Eichel’s shot and Ivan Barbashev bangs in the rebound.

3-0, Golden Knights

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— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) December 6, 2025

Three stars of the game: Akira Schmid, Jack Eichel, Tomáš Hertl

7 Golden Knights Observations 

1. For the 11th time this season, the Golden Knights scored the first goal of the game. They have a record of 8-1-2 when scoring first.

2. Despite taking warmups, Colton Sissons was a late scratch— an illness, Cassidy disclosed postgame. So, after sitting out the last two games as a healthy scratch, Reilly Smith entered the lineup. Smith centered the fourth line, played 10:16, and went 2-for-3 in the face-off dot. 

3. Akira Schmid was lights out tonight. Sometimes, when a goaltender records a shutout, you can credit the whole team. This was not one of those times. The Devils outshot the Golden Knights 19-12 in the final two periods, but Schmid was rock solid. He finished the night with 24 saves and a 1.95 GSAx.

4. Jack Eichel can make something out of nothing, seemingly at will. He did so at the end of the first period when he eluded Jesper Bratt before setting Shea Theodore up for the go-ahead goal.

5. As has often been the case this season, special teams made all the difference tonight for the Golden Knights. Their penalty kill came through when the Devils had their lone power play opportunity, and the power play added two insurance markers late.

6. How good has Shea Theodore been recently? Even when he doesn’t get on the scoresheet, he’s driving offense. Defensively, his analytics have been fantastic. On HockeyStatCards, Theodore’s 6.2 defensive rating leads all defenseman.

7. Earlier on Friday, the Golden Knights announced that they’d recalled goaltender Jesper Vikman from the Henderson Silver Knights. Vikman backed up Schmid tonight. After the game, Bruce Cassidy revealed that Carter Hart suffered an injury on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks and aggravated it during practice. Hart is still with the team on the trip, so it doesn’t sound too serious.Â