Tomas Hertl scored his 24th goal of the season at the 2:11 mark of overtime Wednesday night to lift the Golden Knights to a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
The victory ended a three-game losing skid for the Golden Knights, who finished their post-Olympic, five-game road trip at 2-3 with bookend victories in Los Angeles and Detroit.
The four goals matched what Vegas mustered over the three-game skid in losses to Washington, Pittsburgh and Buffalo.
Vegas extended its Pacific Division lead to three points over the Anaheim Ducks, who were leading the New York Islanders, 3-1, when this story was published.
The Golden Knights have 72 points, with the Ducks, Edmonton Oilers and Seattle Kraken in hot pursuit.
Which is what made Wednesday's game even more important for Vegas.
After taking an early 1-0 lead, on Reilly Smith's goal just 1:50 into the game, the Red Wings scored three unanswered goals to end the opening period to take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.
After a scoreless second period, the Knights began their comeback with goals by Ivan Barbashev midway through the third period and Mitch Marner with 3:24 left in the regulation.
Goaltender Adin Hill stopped 23 shots to earn the win.
KEY MOMENT
Pick one from the final two minutes of regulation, and the Red Wings on a power play, as Hill came up with several remarkable saves to preserve the tie. Hill made four huge saves, and then, with 49 seconds left, newly acquired defenseman Rasmus Andersson blocked Alex DeBrincat's shot. DeBrincat's follow-up shot cleared the crossbar, and then Patrick Kane's shot was blocked by Andersson.
KEY STAT
84-49 ... The Golden Knights' domination in the third period this season has been their best crutch in coming from behind in games. While they've been outscored 67-54 in the first period and 67-59 in the second period, they've dominated the final stanza, including Wednesday, when they outscored Detroit 2-0 to tie the game and force overtime.
WHAT A KNIGHT
Hill didn't allow a goal after the first period. It was a big momentum shift for Vegas' starting goaltender, who has been looking for his best game since returning from the injury that kept him out of the lineup for a good portion of the first half of the season.
UP NEXT: The Golden Knights return home for a two-game homestand beginning with Friday's game against the Minnesota Wild.
PHOTO CAPTION: Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) skates with the puck in the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena.