Reilly Smith lifted his hands above his head and looked toward the T-Mobile Arena ceiling.
The Golden Knights left wing had been stuck on 19 goals for seven games. He needed 13 games before that to get past 18.
It turns out Smith was saving his 20th for when the Knights needed it.
The 31-year-old scored a go-ahead goal with 3:42 left in the third period Wednesday, and the Knights defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in front of an announced crowd of 17,669 at T-Mobile Arena.
It was the Knights’ sixth home win in their last six games, and it came in a nationally televised game on TNT against a Hurricanes team with the second-best record in the NHL.
Smith’s goal finished off a tight, back-and-forth affair between two of the league’s top teams.
The Knights had only 20 shots on goal, tied for their fewest in a game this season. Carolina’s 26 were far below its season average of 35.
The Knights found the first breakthrough thanks to center Jack Eichel. He took a pass from left wing William Carrier and beat goaltender Frederik Andersen glove-side 5:11 into the second period.
Right wing Martin Necas equalized for the Hurricanes 7:51 later on a great inside move. Necas created enough space for himself to fire a wrist shot from the slot, and he rifled it past goaltender Adin Hill to tie the game 1-1.
Eichel gave the Knights the lead again on a breakaway with 1:09 remaining in the second. Trade acquisition Ivan Barbashev picked up the primary assist for his first point with his new team.
The Knights played a solid defensive third period, but Carolina still found a way to tie the game again when center Jordan Staal deflected a shot from defenseman Brent Burns into the net with 7:16 remaining.
Smith made sure the Knights had one last answer in them. Center William Karlsson started the play with a great stretch pass along the boards to right wing Michael Amadio, who found an open Smith by the left post.
Smith finished the play off to give himself his fifth 20-goal season and keep the Knights in first place in the Western Conference.
Here are three takeaways from the Knights on Wednesday:
1. Forward trade
The Knights acquired center Teddy Blueger from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday for a 2024 third-round pick and defense prospect Pete DiLiberatore.
Blueger, 28, has two goals and eight assists in 45 games this season. He was on the Penguins’ fourth line in their most recent game. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent with a $2.2 million cap hit.
DiLiberatore, 22, was the Knights’ sixth-round pick in 2018. He has three assists in 22 games in the American Hockey League this season, and three assists in 18 games in the ECHL.
The team still has about $5.07 million in spending power before the trade deadline at noon Friday.
2. Injury updates
Knights goaltender Logan Thompson is “doing well” in his recovery from a lower-body injury but “nowhere near being on the ice,” coach Bruce Cassidy said.
Thompson is week to week after getting hurt Feb. 9 against the Minnesota Wild. He’s expected to return this season.
Cassidy also said center Nicolas Roy and goaltender Laurent Brossoit are not skating. Both are day to day with lower-body injuries.
Cassidy said Brossoit’s injury is separate from the one that led to the 29-year-old’s offseason hip surgery.
3. Eichel’s hot streak
Wednesday was Eichel’s third multigoal game of the season.
He has seven goals and 11 points in his last nine games. He also was tied for the game lead with three shots on goal against the Hurricanes, while winning nine of his 11 faceoffs.
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