The Golden Knights have scored 46 power-play goals this season, with Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev accounting for half of that production.

Dorofeyev has thrived as the trigger player on the weak side, unleashing one-timers from cross-ice passes. After his hat trick against Boston on Thursday, Detroit deliberately focused its defensive strategy on containing him during Saturday’s showdown.

The strategy opened opportunities for Hertl, who leveraged his imposing 6-foot-3 frame to carve out space near the crease. 

Hertl capitalized twice on the power play, both from perfectly centered Mark Stone passes. He completed his hat trick later, propelling Vegas to a hard-fought 6-3 victory over the Red Wings.

Though Hertl’s third goal wasn’t during a power play, it showcased his net-front dominance as he tipped Brayden McNabb’s shot past Detroit goaltender Cam Talbot.

“If you score a hat trick and you win, it’s way better than last time when we lost,” Hertl reflected, referencing his previous hat trick in a 6-5 loss to Los Angeles on March 9. “It was a good effort and a good team win.”

Hertl and Dorofeyev have engaged in a friendly scoring race, now deadlocked at 30 goals each.

“They’re hard guys on the puck, so they buy a little bit more time for each other to get open,” coach Bruce Cassidy observed. “They’re both willing to shoot. It’s not too often you see two guys in a line that are willing to do that.”

The offensive surge extended beyond this duo. Jack Eichel contributed a goal and three assists, establishing a new career high with 86 points while eclipsing the 600-point milestone.

“It’s a cool milestone. I’ve played with some amazing players,” Eichel remarked. “You look around at the people in this room and the people I’ve played with previously. It’s been the benefactor of some good hockey players. I’m just trying to continue to get better every day.”

Stone added three points (one goal, two assists), Nicolas Roy found the net, and Adin Hill secured his 26th win with 28 saves on 31 shots.

While celebrating his hat trick and 30-goal achievement, Hertl’s focus remains fixed on postseason success: “It’s always a good moment (to score), but it’s nice to be hot, but I’d rather be hotter in three weeks.”