Nosek scores lone goal to lead VGK to 1-0 shutout win

Left-wing Tomas Nosek scores the lone goal to lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a shutout win over the Arizona Coyotes.

The Knights (27-11-2) beat the Coyotes, 1-0, Sunday, April 11, from the T-Mobile Arena.

Vegas heads to Los Angeles to face the Kings, Monday, April 12, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Coyotes fell to a 19-18-5 record and are fifth in the conference.

The Knights remain in second place in the West Division with 57 points behind the Colorado Avalanche.

“I really liked our effort and detail tonight defensively and offensively,” head coach Pete DeBoer said. “I like the fact that we stuck with it. We didn’t get away from our game plan, we didn’t get impatient and step out of our defensive structure.”

Neither team scored in the first frame but Vegas out shot Arizona, 9-8.

“I think we were very solid defensively all game long,” goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said. “I think their best chances came early in the first, other than that we shut them down so well it got lonely back there by myself but it was nice to get the win at the end.”

Fleury is now tied with goaltender Ed Belfour for fourth on the NHL all-time wins list amongst goalies with 484.

It was Fleury’s 18th win this season and first shutout.

Halfway through the third period, Nosek scored the go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal with an assist from center Jonathan Marchessault.

Nosek now has seven goals on the season and 14 points.

“On the ice, he’s playing a great game for us. He’s playing a straight line game, he’s reliable in every zone now, and he’s been unbelievable,” Marchassault said. “He’s definitely a threat for the opponent now and it’s fun to see him succeed like that.”

Marchessault recorded his 19th assist this year.

“We knew that they’d push. If you look at the standing, the desperation level of where they are at can’t get much higher,” DeBoer said. “We knew that coming in, for us, I thought our desperation level matched theirs. We played with some grit when we needed to, some skill when we needed to, we stayed out of the penalty box and kept it a five on five game.”