Golden Knights vets slowly shake off rust in preseason debut

The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Utah Mammoth 5-4 in overtime on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena. Vegas fielded nearly their entire regular opening night lineup, marking their first game action since June 14. After trailing 3-1 through two periods, Vegas rallied behind goals from Victor Olofsson, Jeremy Lauzon, Mark Stone, and Tomas Hertl, who scored a game-tying six-on-five goal with late regulation remaining. Center Jack Eichel secured the victory 39 seconds into overtime.

Coach Ryan Craig adjusted line combinations throughout the game to spark momentum, giving forward Trevor Connelly shifts alongside Eichel and Stone. Forward Victor Olofsson also skated with William Karlsson and Mitch Marner during the contest. The veterans adjusted to game tempo against Utah goaltender Sebastian Cossa following a shortened training camp period.