Mark Stone and Mattias Janmark scored in a span of 4:55 in the second period as the host Vegas Golden Knights cruised to a 5-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

Stone returned from missing four games with an undisclosed injury and scored the tiebreaking goal with 11:46 remaining. Janmark scored for the fifth time in as many games, with 6:52 to go, as Vegas avoided a third straight loss and spoiled the return of former coach Gerard Gallant, who led the Golden Knights to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final.

Jonathan Marchessault scored twice, and former Ranger Brett Howden also tallied as Vegas beat the Rangers for the sixth time in eight all-time meetings.

Robin Lehner made 18 saves after missing five games with a lower-body injury and won his sixth straight decision.

Chris Kreider scored his 21st goal in the opening minute of the second for the Rangers, who were unable to win a fourth straight game after beating Tampa Bay twice and Edmonton in a span of four days.

New York began its season-high five-game road trip without Artemi Panarin, who missed his third straight contest in the NHL's COVID-19 health protocol. About a half-hour before the opening faceoff, the Rangers announced goalie Igor Shesterkin was placed in the protocol.

Alexandar Georgiev replaced Shesterkin and allowed five goals on 35 shots.

Marchessault made it 1-0 by swooping in for the rebound of Reilly Smith's shot and sweeping a backhander into the net for a power-play goal with 1:25 left in the first.

Kreider tied the game 52 seconds into the second by blasting a wrist shot from the left circle over Lehner's stick. After that, Vegas dominated.

Vegas regained the lead when Stone deflected a cross-ice pass from Evgenii Dadonov with his left skate by Georgiev, and the goal was upheld following a brief review. Janmark pushed the lead to 3-1 when he warded off a check from New York defenseman Libor Hajek and lifted a shot from the edge of the left circle over Georgiev and off the crossbar.

Howden made it 4-1 by getting a drop pass from Nolan Patrick and lifting a shot from the left circle over Georgiev 2:11 into the third. With 7:01 left, Marchessault got his second of the night by finishing off a 2-on-1 with Smith.

-Field Level Media