COLUMBUS, Ohio — Reilly Smith scored twice, Marc-Andre Fleury had 29 saves and the Vegas Golden Knights halted a two-game skid with a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
Former Jacket William Karlsson assisted on both of Smith’s goals as the Golden Knights got back in the win column after dropping three of their last four. They lost the last two in overtime after holding two-goal leads.
Boone Jenner scored, and Joonas Korpisalo had 23 saves in the Blue Jackets’ fifth straight loss.
Smith’s first goal came with 45 seconds left in the first period. His shot from behind the goal caromed into the net off the handle of Korpisalo’s stick.
Columbus challenged, contending that Jonathan Marchessault was offside when he dragged the puck into the zone, but after a replay, it was ruled a good goal.
Jenner got his fourth tally of the season, a top-shelf snipe from just inside the left circle, to tie the score 5:37 into the second period.
Two minutes later, Smith beat Korpisalo with a short-handed goal after a turnover set up an odd-man rush.
Dean Kukan hit the bar with a shot in the third period as the Blue Jackets turned up the offensive pressure, but they couldn’t find the back of the net.
NOTES
Karlsson’s assists gave him 200 points for his NHL career. … The women’s Swedish national soccer team was in the stands, ahead of a friendly with the US team on Thursday night in Columbus. … Fleury returned after missing a 4-3 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday because of the flu. … Columbus D Markus Nutivaara, scratched the past two games and four of the past five, replaced Scott Harrington in the lineup. He left the game with an upper-body injury in the second period and did not return. … Columbus has given up four short-handed goals this season. … Vegas F Mark Stone played in his 400th NHL game.
UP NEXT
Golden Knights: At Toronto on Thursday.
Blue Jackets: At Arizona on Thursday.
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Mitch Stacy, The Associated Press
