Golden Knights defeat Predators for first win in four games

LAS VEGAS --The Vegas Golden Knights won for the first time in four games, 5-1 against the Nashville Predators at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.

Max Pacioretty scored two goals, and Malcolm Subban made 29 saves for Vegas (32-24-4), which leads the Vancouver Canucks by nine points for third place in the Pacific Division.
"I felt good obviously to get back in there," Subban said of making his first start since Jan. 6. "When you don't play for a while, you never know how it's going to go. You just try to focus on the first shot, one shot at a time."
WATCH: [All Predators vs. Golden Knights highlights]
The Golden Knights, who are 3-7-0 in their past 10, ended a five-game losing streak at home, the longest in their history.
"It was a great game by our group against a great team," Pacioretty said. "We talk about playing for 60 minutes and playing the right way, and that's what we want to achieve."

Juuse Saros made 45 saves for Nashville (34-22-5), which lost for the fourth time in five games and trails the Winnipeg Jets by three points for first in the Central Division.
"I can tell you, it wasn't a good game," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. "We were outdone in a lot of areas, and the score reflected that."
Nashville's Colton Sissons scored at 15:47 of the first period, but Vegas coach Gerard Gallant challenged for offside, and the goal was overturned after video review showed Sissons entered the zone ahead of the puck.
The Golden Knights took a 1-0 lead at 17:17 of the first when Cody Eakin's lob pass from center ice went to Saros, who couldn't control the puck, and Pacioretty scored on the rebound.
Brandon Pirri scored a power-play goal at 10:53 of the second period to make it 2-0.

The Golden Knights outshot the Predators 24-7 in the second, which Gallant said was their best period this season.
"The second was an unbelievable period," Gallant said. "It was like that the last time we played [Nashville]. The same script was almost written tonight. [Saros] was incredible for two periods, and he kept the score 2-0. They're a team that, 2-0, you don't feel real good against them."
Shea Theodore scored on a 2-on-0 off pass from Paul Stastny at 1:56 of the third period for a 3-0 lead.

Kevin Fiala scored at 4:17 to get the Predators to within 3-1.
The Predators were 0-for-3 on the power play and are 3-for-54 since Jan. 10.
"I'm going to work on it constantly; on the ice, in the room, on the video," Laviolette said. "It's not working."
Oscar Lindberg made it 4-1 at 13:48, and Pacioretty scored his second of the night unassisted at 15:17 for the 5-1 final.

They said it

"I don't think anybody's going to make a case that it was good. For me, that was unexplainable. That's back-to-back second periods where we just didn't show up." -- Predators coach Peter Laviolette
"I'm going to enjoy it. Believe me. Tonight was a long time coming. It's been tough the last number of games at home. We played some decent games but didn't get any points from it. Tonight, we're going to feel good about it." -- Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant

Need to know

Subban, who has won three straight starts after losing his first five of the season, has allowed five goals on 130 shots in his past four starts (.962 save percentage). … It was Saros' first loss to the Golden Knights (3-1-0). … Predators defenseman P.K. Subban had two shots on goal against his brother in 21:37. … Vegas forward Alex Tuch had two assists to end a seven-game point drought. … Gallant changed his second and third lines; Pacioretty was with Lindberg and Eakin, and Stastny and Tuch were with Pirri. … Stastny has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in the past 13 games.

What's next

Predators: At the Dallas Stars on Tuesday (8:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+, FS-SW, FS-TN, NHL.TV)
Golden Knights: At the Colorado Avalanche on Monday (9 p.m. ET; ALT, ATTSN-RM, NHL.TV)