Vegas Golden Knights vs Buffalo Sabres - NHL Game 19 - 2026 | Hertl Takes Over in the Third as Golden Knights Roll Past Sabres 4-1

Game Summary: Vegas Golden Knights vs Buffalo Sabres

A Busy First, but No Breakthrough

Buffalo came out flying, throwing 14 shots at Hill in the opening period and trying to make life uncomfortable for the visitors. The Sabres had the early energy and plenty of opportunities, but Hill stayed composed and kept turning them away.

Vegas didn’t have its usual offensive rhythm right away, but it weathered the pressure. Sometimes the first job on the road is simply to settle things down, take the crowd out of it, and wait for your opening. The Knights did exactly that.

The first period ended scoreless, but the groundwork was being laid for a much different second.

Marner Flips the Switch

The breakthrough came at 12:17 of the middle period, and it was a beauty.

With Vegas shorthanded, Marner read a pass attempt from Tage Thompson at the blue line, picked it off, and took off on a breakaway. He slowed near the crease, made his move, and slid the puck past Colten Ellis to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead.

A short-handed goal on the road? That’s one way to wake everybody up.

Just 86 seconds later, Vegas struck again. Ivan Barbashev pressured Owen Power behind the Buffalo net, took possession, and fed Eichel in front. Eichel wasted no time, snapping a wrist shot home to make it 2-0.

There was a little extra satisfaction in that one. Eichel, drafted by Buffalo second overall in 2015 before being traded to Vegas in 2021, made his former team pay with his eighth goal of the season. No long celebration needed, just a quick reminder of what he can do.

Buffalo Pushes Back, Hertl Answers

The Sabres weren’t ready to call it a night. At 4:26 of the third period, Beck Malenstyn poked the puck through during a scramble in front of Hill, cutting the Vegas lead to 2-1.

For a moment, Buffalo had life again. The home crowd had something to cheer about, and the pressure was back on the Knights.

But Vegas had an answer and his name was Hertl.

Just 1:17 after Malenstyn’s goal, Hertl collected a backhand feed from Marner, worked around Power, and lifted a wrist shot over Ellis’ right shoulder. It was a terrific individual finish, and it restored Vegas’ two-goal cushion at 3-1.

Hertl wasn’t finished, either.

At the 10-minute mark, Barbashev found him streaking through the middle. Hertl took the feed in stride and fired over Ellis’ glove from the slot for his second goal of the period and ninth of the season.

Just like that, the door was shut. Two goals in a span of 4:17, and the Golden Knights had turned a one-goal game into a comfortable 4-1 advantage.

Hill and the Knights Finish the Job

While the offense grabbed the headlines, Hill deserves plenty of credit for keeping Vegas in control. Buffalo came out with serious pressure, especially early, but the Vegas netminder handled the workload and made the stops when they mattered.

Hill finished with 28 saves. Ellis stopped 22 of 26 shots for Buffalo. The Knights also held the Sabres scoreless through the first two periods before pulling away in the third.

Vegas improved to 12-5-2, while Buffalo fell to 8-6-3.

Seven Points, Four Games, One Strong Finish

This was a terrific way for Vegas to close out its four-game Eastern road trip. The Golden Knights finished 3-0-1, collecting seven of eight possible points and extending their point streak to four games.

Marner finished with a goal and an assist, Barbashev recorded two assists, Eichel found the net against his old club, and Hertl delivered the knockout punch. That’s the kind of balanced contribution that makes this team dangerous. When one line gets going, another can step up, and when the game gets tight, Vegas has players who know how to take control.

The Knights now head home to begin a five-game homestand, opening Wednesday against the Utah Mammoth.

The road trip is in the books, the winning streak is at three, and the Golden Knights are bringing home some serious momentum.

Buffalo made them work for it, but once Vegas found its rhythm, the finish was pure Golden Knights hockey: timely saves, opportunistic scoring, and a big-time third period.

Hertl brought the hammer, Marner brought the spark, and Vegas brought home the win.

Post-Game

Vegas killed all three Buffalo power plays, and head coach Ryan Craig credited the penalty kill for swinging the game in the second period. “Our PK was huge. Having to kill three there in the in the second isn’t ideal, and yet we were able to grab momentum off it,” Craig said.

Hertl, who scored twice in the third period, pointed to Hill for keeping Vegas level through Buffalo’s early push. “It was a little slow start. We knew if we play like in the first, it’ll be a long night, but ‘Hillsy’ was amazing. He was amazing all game, but he really gave us life in the first and after, (in the) second we started to play our hockey and finish it,” Hertl said. (Quotes via NHL.com.)

Follow the rest of the season on our Vegas Golden Knights hub, and catch up on the road trip with Trevor Connelly’s late winner in the 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings and Hertl’s late goal in the 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

TOP PERFORMERS

TEAM STATS

Goals: Marner (SH), Eichel, Hertl, Hertl | Attendance: 19,070 at KeyBank Center

Next up: The Golden Knights host the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at T-Mobile Arena. Puck drop is 6:30 p.m. PT on TNT.

Franchise Sports Media. Las Vegas sports news about Las Vegas Sports teams.

– Jordan Vega – Franchise Sports Media

Follow Jordan on Instagram: @jordantvegas

Photography by Jenni Webber (@jenniwebberphotography) for Franchise Sports Media

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