COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Eighteen-year-old rookie Cole Sillinger recorded the first hat trick of his NHL career, Elvis Merzlikins made 23 saves and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Vegas Golden Knights 6-4 on Sunday night.
Sillinger, the league's youngest player who has eight goals in his first 56 games, scored once in the first period and twice in the second, with Oliver Bjorkstrand assisting both times.
Bjorkstrand had a goal of his own, and Patrik Laine tied the team lead with his 23rd of the season for the Blue Jackets, who have won two straight. Eric Robinson completed the scoring with an empty-netter with 11 seconds left.
Vegas' Logan Thompson made 32 stops in just his third game this season. Jonathan Marchessault, William Carrier, Evgenii Dadonov and Jack Eichel scored for the Golden Knights, who dropped their fourth straight as they try to stay in playoff contention.
Laine got Columbus on the board nine seconds into a Columbus power play. Gus Nyquist, posted to the left of the goal, found Laine in the right circle for the finish 2:12 into the game.
It took Vegas only a minute to equalize. A Columbus turnover resulted in Marchessault beating Merzlikins with the team's first shot on goal. Carrier then got credit for a goal when Nicolas Roy's shot went in off his skate at 7:23 in the first period.
The Jackets grabbed the lead back with two goals in 30 seconds. Sillinger, scored from the doorstep off a beautiful centering pass from Bjorkstrand, who got the next one with a one-timer from the slot.
Sillinger got his second goal early in the second period, redirecting a long Bjorkstrand one-timer. The rookie completed his first hat trick about two minutes later, shoveling in a pass from Max Domi.
The Golden Knights got it back to 5-3 when Dadonov finished a rush with a tap-in goal at 8:28 of the second.
Eichel made it 5-4 with a power-play goal early in the third.
UP NEXT
Golden Knights: At Winnipeg on Tuesday.
Blue Jackets: At Ottawa on Wednesday.
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