SAN JOSE, Calif. (Interstat) — The Vegas Golden Knights delivered a decisive 7-2 road victory over the San Jose Sharks in an NHL game Sunday at SAP Pavilion. Vegas controlled play from the outset, building a 5-2 lead through two periods before adding two more in the third before an announced crowd of 17,435. Tomas Hertl led the charge for the Golden Knights with two goals and three assists. Jack Eichel added two goals for Vegas, which improved to 21-23. Collin Graf and Alexander Wennberg scored for the Sharks, who fell to 23-22. Goaltender Carl Lindbom made 18 saves for the win. The Golden Knights have now defeated San Jose in both meetings this season by a combined score of 14-4.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Interstat) — The Vegas Golden Knights delivered a commanding performance Sunday night, routing the San Jose Sharks 7-2 at SAP Pavilion in a game that was never in doubt after a dominant second period. Fueled by a five-point night from center Tomas Hertl and a stifling defensive effort, the Golden Knights scored twice in the first period, three times in the second, and twice more in the third to snap a brief two-game skid for the Sharks and continue their recent mastery of the Pacific Division rival. A crowd of 17,435 watched as Vegas improved to 21-23, while San Jose fell to 23-22. The game’s tone was set early. After surviving some early pressure from the Sharks, Vegas opened the scoring at 10:57 of the first period. Pavel Dorofeyev netted his 17th goal of the season, finishing a play set up by Hertl and Mark Stone to give the visitors a lead they would not relinquish. San Jose responded just over a minute later when Collin Graf buried his 12th of the year off a feed from Jeff Skinner at 9:33, briefly knotting the score at 1-1. The tie was short-lived. Vegas reclaimed the lead for good at 7:19 of the opening frame as Jack Eichel fired a wrist shot past Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov for his 15th goal, with assists from Ivan Barbashev and Jeremy Lauzon. The second period was a decisive onslaught. The Golden Knights extended their lead to 3-1 on a power-play goal from Hertl at the two-minute mark, with Stone and Dorofeyev providing the helpers. Just over two minutes later, defenseman Zach Whitecloud unleashed a slap shot for his second goal of the season, assisted by Hertl and Noah Hanifin, making it 4-1. San Jose’s Alexander Wennberg gave the home crowd a flicker of hope with a wrist shot goal at 12:29 of the second, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Any momentum was extinguished less than four minutes later. Eichel struck again for his 16th of the campaign, taking a pass from Stone and beating Askarov to restore a three-goal cushion at 8:19. The third period served as an exclamation point. Defenseman Shea Theodore wristed home his sixth of the year at 11:03, with Hertl earning his third assist of the night. Hertl then capped his stellar evening with his second goal and fifth point, a slap shot at 14:59 from Dorofeyev and Hanifin, to seal the 7-2 final. Vegas goaltender Carl Lindbom, making his seventh start of the season, was steady when called upon, stopping 18 of 20 shots for the win. At the other end, Askarov faced a barrage, making 38 saves on 45 shots as the Golden Knights dominated possession and outshot the Sharks 45-20. Hertl’s two-goal, three-assist performance was the centerpiece of the Vegas attack, continuing a strong stretch for the Czech center. Eichel added two crucial goals, while Stone quietly orchestrated the offense with three assists. Dorofeyev finished with a goal and two assists. For San Jose, the offense was limited to Graf and Wennberg, with the team managing only four shots in the third period as the game slipped away. The victory marked the third time this season Vegas has scored seven goals against San Jose, having also posted 7-2 and 7-3 wins in previous meetings. The Golden Knights have now taken all three contests between the teams this season. The result defied the pregame projection from National Statistical’s game simulator, which had forecast a 3-2 San Jose victory, though the company’s ELO rating system gave Vegas a 64.4% probability to win. The combined nine goals went over the sportsbook over/under line of 6.5, while Vegas easily covered the 1.5-goal spread as the road favorite. Vegas looks to build on the win as they head to Los Angeles to face the Kings on Wednesday. San Jose, meanwhile, embarks on a five-game road trip beginning Thursday in Washington against the Capitals, seeking to rebound from the lopsided defeat.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Interstat) — The San Jose Sharks, riding a wave of recent success, will host the struggling Vegas Golden Knights in a Pacific Division matchup Sunday at SAP Pavilion. The Sharks (23-21-0) enter on a three-game point streak (2-0-1), including a 5-4 overtime victory over Dallas on Saturday. Tyler Toffoli was instrumental in that win, scoring two goals and adding an assist. The center has five points (3 goals, 2 assists) in his last five games, providing a consistent offensive spark for San Jose. Vegas (19-23-0), meanwhile, looks to build momentum after snapping a five-game skid with a 5-3 win over Columbus on Thursday. Captain Mark Stone led the way with a goal and two assists in that victory, continuing a remarkable personal scoring streak. Stone has recorded a point in 10 consecutive games, tallying 9 goals and 4 assists over that span. The Golden Knights have dominated the season series, winning all three meetings. This includes a decisive 7-2 victory in Las Vegas on Dec. 23, a game in which Stone had a goal and an assist. San Jose’s last win against Vegas came in the 2024-25 season. Despite their head-to-head advantage, the Golden Knights sit below .500 and face a Sharks team that has been strong at home, winning seven of their last ten at SAP Center. Vegas will play the second leg of a back-to-back after facing Los Angeles on Saturday night. National Statistical’s game simulator projects a 3-2 victory for the Sharks. Keys to Watch: Can San Jose’s defense, which allowed seven goals in the last meeting, contain Stone and a Vegas power play that has found rhythm? Will the Sharks, playing their second game in as many nights, have the legs to match a Vegas team seeking consistency? Up Next: The Sharks begin a four-game road trip in Washington on Thursday. The Golden Knights continue a road swing in Los Angeles on Wednesday.