By Canadian Press

Marchessault scores twice, Golden Knights beat struggling Oilers 6-3

Nov 18, 2018 | 8:38 PM

EDMONTON — It took just over two minutes for the Vegas Golden Knights to change the game on Sunday.

Jonathan Marchessault had two goals and an assist and the Golden Knights scored three goals in a two minute and 12 second span early in the second period to emerge with a 6-3 victory over the host Edmonton Oilers.

“We need to build off this,” Marchessault said. “We had a tough first 20 games and everybody knows that. We need to catch up from our slow start.

“There is no magic, we just have to play fast. If we play fast, we’re giving options to each other quick and we’re playing our best and that’s what we did tonight.”

William Karlsson, Cody Eakin, Max Pacioretty and Reilly Smith also scored for the Golden Knights (9-11-1), who have won two of their last three games. Smith tacked on two assists while defenceman Colin Miller had three helpers.

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“We came out strong in the second, one thing led to another and we had a few in the back of the net, that’s what we needed,” Eakin said. “It’s been a little inconsistent and hopefully we can build a little momentum here and play the way we need to be successful.”

Connor McDavid, Alex Chiasson and Leon Draisaitl replied for the Oilers (9-10-1), who have lost six of their last seven.

“Obviously it is frustrating, there is no other way to say it,” McDavid said.

“Especially because we have shown we can be a good team. We had that 8-1-1 stretch where we looked really good and now we have wavered and find ourselves dipping a bit. We just have to get back to that brand of hockey that we know we can play.”

Edmonton scored just 52 seconds into the game on its first shot when McDavid tipped a Matt Benning shot that had Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury completely going in the opposite direction. It was McDavid’s 12th goal of the season.

Vegas responded with seven minutes left in the opening period when Karlsson tipped a bouncing puck past Oilers starter Cam Talbot for his fifth of the campaign.

The Oilers regained the lead with a power-play goal with three-and-a-half minutes to play in the first when Chiasson lifted in a rebound at the side of the net. It was the eighth goal in 14 games for Chiasson, who signed a contract with Edmonton after coming to the team on a training camp try-out.

The game turned around completely early in the second period when the Golden Knights scored the three goals in the short span.

Vegas tied it up again when some sloppy play by the Oilers second-unit power play ended up in a short-handed goal by Eakin. The Golden Knights then got a goal on a Pacioretty shot that went in off an Oilers defender’s skate, and then a power-play marker on a screened shot from Marchessault.

Vegas added to its lead 34 seconds into the third on a redirect by Marchessault, his 10th, and piled on with another goal by Smith three minutes later.

Edmonton got one back from Draisaitl shortly after that.

The Golden Knights are in Calgary on Monday, while the Oilers begin a three-game road trip in San Jose on Tuesday.

Notes: It was the first of four meetings between the two teams this season. Edmonton won three of four games last year against the reigning Western Conference champions… Vegas defenceman Nate Schmidt made his season debut after serving a 20-game suspension for violating the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.

Shane Jones, The Canadian Press