Hertl scores twice as Golden Knights beat Sabres 4-1

Tomas Hertl scored twice in the third period to lift the Golden Knights to a 4-1 win over the Sabres at KeyBank Center. Hertl put four shots on goal and earned a Chirp Rating of 8.6.

The game turned in the second period. Mitch Marner broke the scoreless tie at 12:17 with a wrist shot. Jack Eichel doubled the lead 86 seconds later, also on a wrist shot, with Ivan Barbashev assisting. Vegas led 2-0 after two.

Beck Malenstyn cut it to 2-1 at 4:26 of the third, his first goal of the season. Hertl answered 77 seconds later, converting a Marner feed for a 3-1 lead. He added his second at 10:00, with assists from Barbashev and Shea Theodore, to make it 4-1.

Vegas improves to 12-5-2 and 26 points. Buffalo falls to 8-6-3 with 19 points.

Chirp's Sim had the Golden Knights at 52% before the game, so this was close to a coin flip on paper.