The Utah Hockey Club thought they were headed to adding two points to their standing until Tomas Hertl and William Karlsson stepped up to crush that thought. Hertl tallied two power-play goals to bring the Golden Knights even at two goals apiece.
That set the table for William Karlsson to become the hero. He tipped in a shot from the point with just 1:18 left in the final period to give the Vegas club their first lead. He finished any hope of Utah recovering by putting one into the empty net with 29 seconds remaining.
William Karlsson wasn’t being denied
He assisted on the Hertl power-play goal at 8:23 of the middle stanza to bring his team even. He then took over the comeback by scoring twice to finish off the Utah Hockey Club. His tip-in goal was a beauty as he found open space between the hash marks to deflect a shot taken by Keegan Kolesar.
It was one of those goals that turned around a game. The Golden Knights needed some heroics late, as they were not on track for a victory. The Utah club dominated in the face-off circle 59.4 percent to 40.6 percent. Another stat that defined the Golden Knights' poor early play was that they needed to block 25 Utah shots. At one point in the first period the Vegas team didn't have a shot on goal for almost eight minutes.
Adin Hill kept his team's chances alive
Hill finished with 32 saves to keep the game close. He was not recognized as one of the game's stars, as Karlsson and Hertl were named the first and second stars. Mikhail Sergachev got the third-star nomination. He put home an excellent wrister in the first period to give the Utah team a 2-0 lead.
Hill doesn't show great statistics with a .886 save percentage and a 3.16 goals-against average, but he has an adequate 8-3-1 record this season. That can attributed to his team's 4.12 average goals scored per game. He knows they still have a great chance to win the game if they fall behind. That theory may not serve him well going forward, but for now, it is working. The Golden Knights lead the Pacific Division with 24 points and have evened their road record at 3-3-2.
William Karlsson's play has been terrific
Karlsson has consistently shown that he is a clutch player. He has 27 game-winning goals through this 11-year NHL career. He has four goals and five assists in nine games this season, including two game-winners. He got off late due to a pre-season injury and missed eight games.
With captain Mark Stone's recent injury, Karlsson has filled in nicely to lead the team to wins. Stone has missed four games, and his return is still not scheduled.
Stone (lower body) didn't suit up against Utah on Friday. Stone sat out warmups and was absent for his fourth consecutive game. His next opportunity to play is on Sunday against the Capitals, but there are no updates regarding when he might return.
The road ahead
After hosting the Washington Capitals this Sunday, the Golden Knights will pack their bags for a crucial five-game road trip. They will face Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Philadelphia, and Colorado before returning home the day after Thanksgiving.
To keep their division-standing lead, at least three wins will be needed. If Karlsson has anything to say about it, the Vegas Golden Knights will be just fine.