Hertl has career-high 5 points, Golden Knights defeat Sharks

SAN JOSE -- Tomas Hertl had an NHL career-high five points (two goals, three assists) for the Vegas Golden Knights in a 7-2 win against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Sunday.

"I don't know. Sometimes you feel even better and then you end up with an apple or something," Hertl said. "Sometimes [it] just goes your way. I'm just happy about my game."

Jack Eichel scored two goals, Pavel Dorofeyev had a goal and two assists, and Mark Stone had three assists for the Golden Knights (21-11-12), who have won four straight, including 4-2 against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. Carl Lindbom made 18 saves.

"We've stacked some wins together, and I think the guys realized that as we got into the second half of the year we weren't happy with where we are," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "... We talked about it the other day, like some of the good things we've done with different people in and out of the lineup. They're going to take ownership of the team."

Collin Graf and Alexander Wennberg scored for the Sharks (23-19-3), who had won three in a row, including 5-4 in overtime against the Dallas Stars on Saturday. Yaroslav Askarov made 26 saves.

Macklin Celebrini had his point streak end at 13 games (nine goals, 18 assists).

"Go up and down the list. They're big, they're long, they can skate, they play with structure, they're an experienced team that's won," San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said. "They know what winning looks like."

Eichel gave the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead at 7:19 of the first period. Ivan Barbashev got the puck off the end boards and sent a backhand pass across the crease to Eichel, whose initial chance was stopped by a sprawling Askarov before he chipped his own rebound in at the left post.

Graf tied the game 1-1 at 9:33. Zach Whitecloud tried to clear the puck out the left circle but had it land right on the stick of Graf, who scored five-hole with a shot that appeared to deflect off Noah Hanifin.

"We just got it deep and were able to create a turnover," said Sharks forward Michael Misa, who was playing in his first NHL game since Nov. 1. "Right place, right time for Graf. He finished it nicely."

Dorofeyev put the Golden Knights back ahead 2-1 with a power-play goal at 10:57. Hertl sent a quick touch pass at the top of the crease to Dorofeyev, who roofed a shot near the right post.

Eichel scored his second of the game at 4:19 of the second period to make it 3-1. He scored short side under Askarov's glove from the left circle after Stone forced a turnover along the right boards.

Hertl pushed the lead to 4-1 with a power-play goal at 11:00. Dorofeyev's shot from the right circle hit the back of Timothy Liljegren at the left post, and Hertl swept the loose puck into the open net.

"The power play is always a big, integral part of it," Cassidy said. "Getting the draws, getting the goal in front. ... I'm sure [Hertl] likes coming back and playing here. He probably has terrific memories from years ago. Sometimes when you come back into a building you're familiar with, you just feel it a little bit."

Whitecloud made it 5-1 at 12:25 with a one-timer from the right point that beat Askarov through a screen.

Wennberg cut it to 5-2 at 16:29. Liljegren gloved the puck down in the left circle and slid a pass over to Wennberg for a one-timer from the right circle.

"I feel like we had chances," Wennberg said. "When you have those opportunities, and we had a few today, you just have to score goals that make a big difference in the game."

Shea Theodore shot the puck from his own zone into an empty net to extend the lead to 6-2 at 17:03 of the third period.

Hertl then scored his second of the game on a one-timer from the right circle to make it 7-2 at 18:59.

"I thought we played a really solid game," Lindbom said. "Really solid offensively, defensively, [the] power play was buzzing. So, really good."

NOTES: Stone extended his point streak to eight games (seven goals, five assists). ... Eichel extended his point streak to five games (four goals, three assists).