LAS VEGAS — Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 19 shots to earn his second straight shutout and lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.
Fleury moved within one victory of tying Jacques Plante for eighth on the NHL’s all-time wins list. It was his second straight 3-0 shutout, after beating Anaheim on the road Friday.
Fleury also earned the 18,303 in attendance free Krispy Kreme doughnuts as part of promotion that gets fans a free dozen when the 15-year veteran gets a shutout at T-Mobile Arena.
Your doughnuts make us go nuts!
🍩😃🍩😀🍩😁🍩😍🍩😆🍩 pic.twitter.com/g1bzOiQO8s
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 3, 2019
Max Pacioretty, Ryan Carpenter and Reilly Smith scored for the Golden Knights, who won their fourth straight — all since acquiring Mark Stone from Ottawa at Monday’s trade deadline.
Vegas improved to 13-5-2 against the tightly contested Pacific Division, and moved seven points behind second-place San Jose, which played Chicago late Sunday.
Vancouver goaltender Jacob Markstrom was the main reason the Canucks lost by only three as he stopped 45 shots. Markstrom, who is tied for ninth in the league in wins (23), dropped to 15-10-5 since Dec. 6.
Pacioretty took over sole possession of the team lead with his 21st goal of the season 5:42 into the second period. After defenceman Nate Schmidt delayed the play along the left wing, he fed a streaking Pacioretty, who sent a one-timer from the top to give Vegas a 1-0 lead.
Carpenter made it 2-0 when he gathered a loose puck at the bottom of the right circle and, from his knees, fired a wrist shot that traced the ice and under Markstrom.
Smith scored the third goal of the second period for Vegas, when he got a pass from William Karlsson and paused just long enough to catch Markstrom sliding low to his left, and lifted the puck top shelf. Smith now has a point in nine of his last 12 games (four goals, eight assists) for Vegas.
NOTES: Karlsson is one game shy from his 150th as a member of the Golden Knights. … With his assist on Pacioretty’s goal, Stastny has a point in 20 of his last 28 games with six goals and 21 assists. … Alex Edler is two shy of playing in his 800th career game, all with Vancouver. … An NHL player poll revealed Vegas as the most “fun city to visit on the road,” and the Golden Knights as the “team with the best fans.”
UP NEXT
Vancouver: Hosts Toronto on Wednesday night.
Vegas: Hosts Calgary on Wednesday night.
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W.G. Ramirez, The Associated Press