LAS VEGAS _ The Las Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday came back from a 3-0 deficit to win _ the first time in the brief history of the franchise they've accomplished that feat. They liked the feeling so much they tried to it again Tuesday.
The Pittsburgh Penguins jumped out to a 3-0 lead at T-Mobile Arena by putting three goals past old friend Marc-Andre Fleury. But the home team came to life after a fluky goal midway through the second period, dominated the Penguins the rest of that period and was threatening to tie the score early in the third.
In a flash, Brandon Tanev put an end to their push and silenced the crowd, scoring another huge goal to help the Penguins escape with a 4-3 victory. It was their first win in three games at T-Mobile Arena.
From his goal line, Kris Letang bounced a beautiful pass off the boards to Tanev, who streaked behind the Vegas defense. He cut in on Fleury, avoided the goalie's poke check and tucked the puck inside the left post for his ninth goal.
The Penguins raised eyebrows when they signed the grinding winger to a six-year, $21 million contract minutes after free agency started in July. But they felt the ball of energy was something they needed _ fast, feisty and unafraid.
They probably didn't expect him to chip in with goals at critical times. He already had two game-winners in overtime. Then he added the dagger Tuesday.
The Penguins have won seven of their past eight road games.
Evgeni Malkin, with a wicked backhand shot, gave the Penguins the lead 2:53 into the first. Dominik Kahun, skating on the top line for a second straight game, put the puck on goal. Fleury punched out Bryan Rust's rebound try into the slot toward Malkin, who whacked a backhander under the crossbar.
A few minutes later, Patric Hornqvist scored on a rebound to make it 2-0.
Early in the second period, the Penguins pushed their lead to 3-0 with their first power-play goal in five games. Fourth-liner Alex Galchenyuk drew the penalty and Kahun converted, somehow sneaking a shot through Fleury's legs as Tristan Jarry slapped his stick to the ice to let the Penguins know the penalty would soon expire.
The Golden Knights got on the board 7:11 into the second. Max Pacioretty threw a shot on goal that hit Jack Johnson's shin pad and then the puck sneaked inside the post. They kept pushing. And with the home crowd into the game and Johnson in the penalty box, Shea Theodore's shot was redirected by Paul Stastny past Jarry.
After Tanev scored 2:15 into the third, the Golden Knights pulled back within a goal when Reilly Smith's shanked shot from a slim angle dropped in. Jarry had to turn aside point-blank shots from Pacioretty and William Karlsson and the Penguins had to kill a penalty in the frantic final minutes. But they held on.
Fleury was spectacular the last time these teams met, stopping all 29 shots he faced Oct. 19 to shut out his former team, 3-0, in Pittsburgh.
Entering Tuesday, the 35-year-old had recorded 18 wins, tied for fifth in the NHL, with a .910 save percentage and a pair of shutouts. He earned an invitation to this month's All-Star game, which he declined.
In the other net was a goalie the Penguins picked in the second round in 2013 as his potential replacement. Jarry arrived in Las Vegas as one of the NHL's hottest goalies, allowing 1.99 goals per game. He will leave an All-Star. Two hours before the puck dropped Tuesday, the league announced that Jarry and Kris Letang will go to the All-Star game as injury replacements.
Jarry, who was in goal for the Penguins when Fleury shut them out in October, got the better of Fleury this time to snap his personal two-game losing streak.
Tuesday was the first game of a three-game road trip that will see Pittsburgh face off against three of the Western Conference's top four teams. Up next are Hart candidate Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, followed by a trip to Arizona to check out Phil Kessel's new digs in the desert Sunday.
