Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 | 9:32 p.m.
Victor Olofsson has been back in the Vegas Golden Knights lineup for seven games after missing nearly two months with a sprained ankle.
He’s wasted no time becoming one of Vegas’ most productive players.
Sunday, he scored twice to help the Golden Knights defeat the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in St. Paul. He now has six points in seven games.
“It feels really good right now,” Olofsson said. “I haven’t felt this good in a long time and it feels good to be back with the guys after a long time off. I’m obviously very excited to play every night, and it’s a lot of fun right now.”
Olofsson scored on the power play in the first period for Vegas’ initial goal of the game. In the third period, he let a shot go from inside the left face-off circle that beat Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt for the game-winner.
Shea Theodore had Vegas’ other goal.
Center Jack Eichel had two assists in the win, becoming the fastest Golden Knight to reach 200 points, doing it in 195 games.
He has 40 points on the season, tied for ninth in the league.
“Time flies when you’re having fun,” Eichel said about eclipsing 200 points with the Golden Knights. “It’s been an amazing time here with this organization. I had no idea, so that’s pretty cool.
Kirill Kaprizov, the NHL’s leading goal-scorer, scored his 21st and 22nd goals of the season for Minnesota.
Vegas goalie Ilya Samsonov made 20 saves on 22 shots for his seventh win of the season.
It was the final game of a three-game road trip for Vegas. It beat Winnipeg and Minnesota, the two top teams in the Western Conference, and sits with 43 points — four points ahead of the second-place Kings in the Pacific Division.
Vegas will be home for the next three games, taking on the Vancouver Canucks at 7 p.m. Thursday.