Tomas Hertl scored twice in the third period as the Buffalo Sabres lost 4-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday at KeyBank Center.
Beck Malenstyn scored Buffalo’s lone goal, briefly cutting a two-goal deficit in half before Hertl answered. Adin Hill made 27 saves for Vegas, while Colten Ellis stopped 22 shots for the Sabres.
Vegas strikes twice in the second period
After a scoreless first period, Mitch Marner put the Golden Knights ahead with an unassisted shorthanded goal at 12:17 of the second. His third goal of the season came with Ivan Barbashev serving a hooking penalty.
Jack Eichel doubled the lead just 1:26 later, scoring his eighth goal of the season at 13:43. Barbashev assisted on the goal, which sent Vegas into the second intermission ahead 2-0.
Hertl answers Buffalo’s third-period goal
Malenstyn got Buffalo on the board at 4:26 of the third period with his first goal of the season. Tyson Kozak and Mattias Samuelsson assisted, bringing the Sabres within 2-1.
That one-goal margin lasted only 77 seconds. Hertl scored at 5:43 off an assist from Marner to restore Vegas’ two-goal lead.
Hertl added his second of the game and ninth of the season at the 10-minute mark, with assists from Barbashev and Shea Theodore, to make it 4-1. Marner finished with a goal and an assist, and Barbashev had two assists.
Buffalo finished with a 28-26 advantage in shots. Neither team scored on its three power-play opportunities, while Marner’s shorthanded goal opened the scoring for Vegas.
The Sabres next host the Tampa Bay Lightning at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at KeyBank Center.
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