Knights erupt in final 2 periods, snap 5-game losing streak

Danny Webster, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Feb 5, 2026

Published in Hockey

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Sometimes, the formula for a team trying to get back on track is as simple as knowing the opponent.

The Vegas Golden Knights haven’t had a game like that since the freezing Friday night in Toronto on Jan. 23 — the last time they won a game before Wednesday night’s 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks at T-Mobile Arena.

The Knights (26-16-14) were in need of a game against a team they’re flat-out better than. The Canucks (18-33-6), albeit severely banged up, are in a self-inflicted rebuild after shipping franchise cornerstone Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in December.

But it’s what the Knights needed to end a five-game losing streak and win for just the second time in their past nine games.

It was a slow build to get to that point. The Knights finally created that needed separation with three goals in 2:30 in the second period after a goal-less first period.

Jack Eichel ended a five-game drought with the first goal at 5:09, and Cole Reinhardt doubled the lead 1:25 later.

Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson got Vancouver on the board 37 seconds later on a weak-side snipe to make the score 2-1.

But the Knights, plagued by slow starts lately, got a response 28 seconds later with Ivan Barbashev scoring for the fourth straight game.

The Pettersson goal is one goaltender Akira Schmid would have liked to have back. It wasn’t a powerful shot by any stretch, but he misread it.

Schmid made up for it less than three minutes after Barbashev’s goal.

Vancouver defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph had a wide-open cage from the left side. Schmid, at the far post, got tangled with teammate Shea Theodore and Vancouver center Teddy Blueger.

Schmid got over in time to make a diving glove save with 10:40 remaining and preserve the two-goal lead. He finished with 21 saves for his 16th win.

Pavel Dorofeyev and Alexander Holtz scored within a minute apart early in the third period to account for the final score.

Coach Bruce Cassidy thought the Knights were trending in the right direction despite losing their past two games to Seattle and Anaheim. The work was rewarded against a team they needed to beat.

The Knights will play their final game before the Winter Olympic break in the second leg of a home-and-home against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

Los Angeles made a blockbuster deal before the Olympic roster freeze Wednesday, acquiring winger Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers and signing him to a two-year, $22 million extension. The Kings have ruled Panarin out for Thursday.