Golden Knights Win Again, Improve Conference-Best Record At Home

LAS VEGAS, NV - There's no place like home for the holidays. The Vegas Golden Knights are surely enjoying their December Sin City staycation, beating the Florida Panthers 5-2 on Sunday night for their 21st win of the season. They now lead the Western Conference's Pacific Division with 44 points and a 21-9-2 record, including a Western Conference best 13-2-1 while playing at home.

The fun has lasted all season long at T-Mobile Arena and that didn't stop on Sunday. For the second straight home game there was a Redemption Song to be played at the end of the game. Though he downplayed it afterwards, this game had to mean a little extra for Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant who came to Vegas after being fired by the Panthers last season.

After beating the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday behind goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who was facing his former team of 13 seasons, the focus turned to Gallant's shot at revenge. The Vegas head coach was asked if the game felt different given that he was coaching against the team that fired him after an 11-10-1 start to the 2016 season.

"No, not really, to be honest with you," Gallant said in the post game press conference. "I just coached another game, once you get in the heat of the moment. Wasn't much fun early when they went up 2-0."

The Golden Knights fell behind early 2-0, but tied the game at 2-2 at the end of the first period. After a scoreless second period, Vegas piled on in the third with three goals to seal the victory. Erik Haula tipped the eventual game winner in halfway through the third period for his 12th goal of the season. Jonathan Marchessault and James Neal each added empty-net goals before the game ended. Marchessault also assisted on two goals Sunday night.

"I thought we started to get our legs, we started to forecheck really well and make them make mistakes," Gallant said of the third period outburst. "And the guys were starting to drive to the net. We weren't getting a whole lot done in the first two, but I thought we started putting pucks behind the net, we started to reset the pucks, and then we started driving the net."

The Golden Knights play the Tampa Bay Lightning at home Tuesday night (10:00 p.m.) before hosting the Washington Capitals on Saturday to close out a five-game homestand.

Image via John Locher/Associated Press