Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, second left, is congratulated by teammates after scoring against Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) during the second period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena Saturday, March 23, 2024.
Saturday, March 23, 2024 | 9:59 p.m.
Jack Eichel scored two goals for his 500th and 501st career points and Vegas maintained playoff position with a 4-2 victory Saturday night over the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets, but Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill left early in the third period.
Ivan Barbashev and Pavel Dorofeyev had the other Vegas goals. Chandler Stephenson and Shea Theodore each had two assists.
Hill, who had 12 saves on 13 shots, left the game less than five minutes into the third. Logan Thompson played the rest of the game and made eight stops.
Erik Gudbranson and Carson Meyer scored for Columbus, which was outshot 47-22. The Blue Jackets, playing the second of a back-to-back, gave up 51 shots in a 6-1 loss Friday night at Colorado. Daniil Tarasov recorded 43 saves.
The Knights have won five of seven games to remain four points in front of the Blues for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The teams meet in St. Louis on Monday.
Columbus is 1-5-2 in its past eight games.
The Blue Jackets took the early lead when Gudbranson scored 4:32 into the first period. His shot from the right point went off Hill’s arm into the net for a 1-0 lead. Zach Werenski’s assist moved him into second place in Columbus’ career list with 205, passing David Vyborny.
Columbus nearly added to the lead when Johnny Gaudreau rang a shot off the right post as timing was expiring in the period.
The Knights took the lead in the second period with a pair of rebound goals. Barbashev collected his own rebound to score from the slot at 3:31 and Eichel netted the puck from the left circle on Zach Whitecloud’s carom.
But the Blue Jackets were fortunate to head into the second intermission down just a goal. Vegas had five danger chances that period, according to the website Natural Stat Trick, and outshot Columbus 23-3.
