Mark Stone tallies twice as Knights level series vs. Jets

Mark Stone scored two third-period goals and also had an assist to lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 2 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series on Thursday in Las Vegas.

Chandler Stephenson and William Karlsson each finished with a goal and assist and Jack Eichel scored his first career playoff goal for Vegas, which bounced back from a 5-1 loss in the opener to even the best-of-seven series.

Game 3 is Saturday afternoon in Winnipeg.

Alex Pietrangelo and Phil Kessel each had two assists for the Golden Knights. Laurent Brossoit finished with 31 saves for his first career playoff victory.

Adam Lowry and Kevin Stenlund scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck made 34 saves.

Winnipeg took a 1-0 lead at the 9:18 mark of the first period on a power-play goal by Lowry, who deflected Neal Pionk's point shot that bounced past Brossoit's blocker side. It was the third consecutive goal scored for the Jets by Lowry, who had an empty-netter and also a power-play goal in the final 81 seconds of Tuesday's opener.

Vegas tied it 1-1 early in the second period. Karlsson picked up a loose puck in the high slot and then whipped a wrist shot past Hellebuyck's glove and into the top right corner of the net for his second goal of the series and 21st playoff goal of his career.

Eichel then gave Vegas its first lead in the playoffs at 10:25 of the second when he deflected a Pietrangelo point shot past Hellebuyck's blocker side.

Winnipeg tied it 2-2 with 3:59 left in the middle period. Stenlund, cutting down the slot, tipped Saku Maenalanen's backhand pass into the top right corner for his second career playoff goal.

Stephenson gave the Golden Knights a 3-2 lead at the 5:37 mark of the third period when he buried a rebound of a Pietrangelo shot from the top of the right circle that Hellebuyck left in the slot. It snapped a 17-game playoff goal drought for Stephenson.

Stone, who missed the final 39 games of the regular season while recovering from his second back surgery in a nine-month span and had last scored Jan. 5, extended the lead to 4-2 with 6:59 remaining. He tipped Stephenson's pass from the left circle inside the far post.

Stone sealed the win when he fired a wrist shot from the high slot past Hellebuyck for his 25th career playoff goal.