LAS VEGAS (AP) 鈥 Ivan Barbashev scored his first two goals with Vegas and Jonathan Quick got his first victory with the Golden Knights in a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.
Shea Theodore and Reilly Smith also scored for Vegas, which got its third straight home win. Quick, acquired from Columbus on Thursday 鈥 two days after he was traded from Los Angeles to the Blue Jackets 鈥 made 25 saves on 28 shots.
Barbashev is very comfortable right in front of the net and that鈥檚 where the forward found himself twice with the puck on his stick. He made the most of it.
鈥淚 think you鈥檒l see a lot more of that,鈥 said Vegas coach Bill Cassidy. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where he goes, that鈥檚 where he hangs out. He鈥檚 comfortable there, right out in front of the net. He was ready to use his feet, his stick, whatever is necessary.鈥
Mike Matheson, Alex Belzile and Rafael Harvey-Pinard scored for Montreal, which lost its third straight to finish a four-game trip. Jake Allen had 24 saves.
鈥淚 never feel like we鈥檙e out of it,鈥 Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said. 鈥淭he good thing (today) was we were only down two (after the first period). It could have been way worse. I know we have the type of game that we can come back.鈥
The Golden Knights led 3-0 entering the third period, but Montreal鈥檚 Mike Matheson scored at 2:04 to get the Canadiens on the board. It was Matheson鈥檚 fifth goal of the season.
Vegas restored its three-goal lead as Barbashev 鈥 acquired from St. Louis last Sunday 鈥 got his second of the game and 12th of the season at 7:44.
Belzile pulled the Canadiens back within two just 23 seconds later with his second of the season.
Montreal pulled to 4-3 another 35 seconds later as Harvey-Pinard took a pass from Jesse Ylonen from behind the net to beat Quick for his eighth.
The Golden Knights jumped out early with two first-period goals. The first came when Theodore鈥檚 shot from the top of the circle eluded traffic to beat Allen. It was Theodore鈥檚 seventh.
Vegas extended the lead to 2-0 with 19 seconds left in the opening period when Barbashev tapped in the puck from the right side of the crease.
鈥淢y linemates did a good job of helping me out and making it a lot easier out there,鈥 he said. 鈥淭o me, it鈥檚 really fun to be in front of the net and try to screen the goalie and hope for a rebound.鈥
Smith pushed the lead to 3-0 at 7:20 of the second as he took a pass from William Karlsson in transition on the right wing and slid the puck past Allen for his 21st.
NOTES
Teddy Bluegger got his first points with the Knights on his assist on Theodore鈥檚 goal. 鈥 Vegas killed off penalties in the first and third periods, while the Canadiens killed one in the second period.
UP NEXT
Canadiens: Host Carolina on Tuesday to open a three-game homestand.
Golden Knights: At Florida on Tuesday to start a five-game trip.
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