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SPORTS Wednesday 16 May 2018

Marchessault-led Golden Knights top Jets 3-1 in Game 2

By LARRY LAGE rusty in the series opener
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) and the Jets scored three
— Jonathan Marchessault goals early in a 4-2 win
scored twice and said the about 48 hours after ad-
expansion Vegas Golden vancing out of the second
Knights sent a message, round.
bouncing back with a 3-1 It looked like they were go-
series-evening win over ing to pick up where they
the Winnipeg Jets on Mon- left off.
day night in Game 2 of the "They came out flying
Western Conference final. again with a lot of speed,"
"Every time we need a big Fleury said.
game as a group, we show Fleury, who helped the
up," Marchessault said. "We Pittsburgh Penguins win
showed the hockey world three Stanley Cups, made
we earned the right to be key stops early and got
here." help from teammate and a
Tomas Tatar scored 6:37 post in the opening minutes
into the game for the Gold- to keep the puck out of his
en Knights and Marc-An- net.
dre Fleury finished with 30 "Fleury had to make three
saves. or four really good saves
Kyle Connor scored mid- in the first seven minutes,"
way through the third pe- Vegas coach Gerard Gal-
riod to pull Winnipeg with- lant said. "We rebounded
in a goal. Marchessault after that. We got that 2-0
restored the two-goal lead lead and it was a different Las Vegas Golden Knights' Tomas Tatar (90) celebrates with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (41) after
Tatar scored on Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) during first period game 2 NHL
1:28 later. game for us. When teams Western Conference Finals hockey action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monday, May 14, 2018.
Connor Hellebuyck had 25 are chasing the lead, it's Associated Press
saves for the Jets. tough for teams to battle
After losing the series open- back."
er, Marchessault told re- Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele,
porters the team faced a who has postseason-high of the net with a shot. pressure on by relentlessly and Tomas Nosek in place
must-win game. 12 goals , got the puck past Connor was pressured into forechecking and drew of David Perron and Os-
"If you're going to talk out Fleury in the opening mo- turning over the puck near another penalty early in the car Lindberg. Gallant said
there in the media that you ments of the game and center ice late in the open- third. Connor took advan- Perron was not a healthy
have to be better, I think Vegas defenseman Nate ing period and Reilly Smith tage, squeezing a shot be- scratch. "He wasn't feeling
you need to lead by exam- Schmidt cleared it from the set up Marchessault, his for- tween Fleury and the post well," Gallant said. "I think
ple," he said. "I tried to do crease . mer Florida Panthers team- from the bottom of the left he'll be fine." ... The Jets
that." Vegas generated offense mate, at the blue line and circle 7:17 into the third. have not lost consecutive
Game 3 is Wednesday by making plays without he scored on a breakaway That whipped the white- games this postseason. ...
night in Las Vegas. the puck, forcing turnovers backhander. clad fans into a frenzy Vegas acquired Tatar from
"I don't think anybody is to set up goals. "There was about 57 min- — triggering jeers of "Fleu- the Detroit Red Wings at the
panicking," Jets defense- "We were on them," Gold- utes of that game that ry! Fleu-ry!" — and were trade deadline for a first-
man Jacob Trouba said. en Knights forward Erik Hau- was pretty good for us," quickly quieted by another round pick and he played
"We like our road game. la said. "That's our game. Jets captain Blake Wheeler Marchessault backhander in just his fifth game of this
We like where it was in the We're a fast team. I think said. "Three minutes of it got that beat Hellebuyck. postseason and scored his
Nashville series." we showed that." away from us. The Jets pulled their goal- first goal. "What a luxury to
Winnipeg won three times Indeed. The Jets closed the score- tender to add another be able to put Tomas Tatar
on the top-seeded Preda- After the Jets failed to con- less second period and skater over the last couple into a game in the playoffs,"
tors' home ice, including trol the puck out of a cor- started the third on the minutes of the game, but Schmidt said. "The guy has
Game 7 last week. ner in their end, Tatar end- power play and still couldn't Fleury didn't let the puck been an incredible player
The expansion Golden ed up stuffing the puck in get the puck past Fleury. get past him again. in this league and proved it
Knights appeared to be the net after hitting the side Yet. Winnipeg kept up the NOTES: Vegas put Tatar for many years."q