Brayden McNabb and Jack Eichel scored pivotal short-handed goals just seconds apart in the third period, and Alex Pietrangelo had three assists as the Vegas Golden Knights beat the San Jose Sharks 6-3.

SAN JOSE – Forward William Eklund and defenseman Jake Walman will be out of the lineup with injuries Friday when the San Jose Sharks host the Vegas Golden Knights in the first game back after the Christmas break for both teams. Both Eklund (upper body) and Walman (lower body) are considered day-to-day, Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said.

Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy in one of the first practices of the preseason in September expressed his desire to be “the best defensive team in the Pacific Division.”

Thanks to a relatively quiet season, the Vegas Golden Knights haven’t been getting the usual headlines. However, a quick look at the standings during the holiday break will show that they are impeccably 21-8-3 and sit comfortably on top of the Pacific Division Standings.

Brayden McNabb and Jack Eichel scored short-handed goals 23 seconds apart to highlight a four-goal third-period outburst as the visiting Vegas Golden Knights rallied for a 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Friday night.