Neal, Fleury shine for Las Vegas
GLENDALE, Ariz. — James Neal’s first season with a brand new team is off to a dream start, for both Neal and the Vegas Golden Knights.
Neal’s goal at 3:46 of overtime Saturday night gave the expansion Golden Knights their second win in two games, 2-1 over the Arizona Coyotes.
Neal, who scored twice in the Golden Knights’ first regular-season game Friday at Dallas, completed a comeback that saw Vegas tie the score at 1 with 1:12 to play in regulation. Anti Raanta, in his first game as the new No. 1 goaltender in Arizona, stopped 42 shots.
“Yesterday is one of the best feelings I’ve had in hockey,” Neal said of Friday’s game. “We said we wanted to roll it up again today and get a big win and go home a happy team, and we did that.”
Vegas, unable to put a shot past Raanta for nearly the entire game, drew even at 1 on Nate Schmidt’s goal. The Golden Knights had pulled goalie Marc-Andre Fleury with 2:18 to play for an extra attacker, and the move paid off.
Then Neal sent Vegas home winners.
Fleury made 27 saves.
Raanta was sharpest in the second period, making 19 saves. The Coyotes earned their first point for new coach Rick Tocchet after losing their season opener at Anaheim on Thursday.
