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Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

WASHINGTON (AP) Patric Hornqvist scored a power-play goal and assisted on another in his season debut to help the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 on Wednesday night in their first meeting since the playoffs.

Hornqvist assisted on a goal by Kris Letang, the defenseman's first since Feb. 4 after missing the end of last season and playoffs because of neck surgery. Hornqvist, who scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal last spring despite a broken finger on his right hand, was playing for the first time since offseason surgery to repair it.

Conor Sheary scored the Penguins' third goal as they went 3 for 6 on the power play. The Capitals' six minor penalties were a season high and contributed to their first regulation loss.

Alex Ovechkin scored his NHL-leading eighth goal of the season in the Capitals' fourth game. Christian Djoos assisted on Ovechkin's goal and scored in his NHL debut to become the third defenseman in franchise history to score in his debut after Steve Poapst and Hall of Famer Scott Stevens.

Matt Murray stopped 20 of the 22 shots he faced to pick up the victory. Braden Holtby made 33 saves for Washington.

Although Ovechkin's goal made things interesting at 3-2 with 7:09 left in the third period, Hornqvist staked the Penguins to a lead and paid immediate dividends in his return. Coach Mike Sullivan expected Hornqvist to be ''a momentum guy,'' which the 30-year-old Swede was on the power play.

Hornqvist was on the ice and around the net for all three Penguins goals. He also scored in their Game 7 victory in Washington in the second round of the playoffs last year, the last time these teams faced each other.

NOTES: Pittsburgh scratched Scott Wilson to make room for Hornqvist. ... Washington scratched Taylor Chorney for Djoos and Aussie Nathan Walker for Tyler Graovac.

UP NEXT

Penguins: Visit Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.

Capitals: Get Tom Wilson back from a four-game suspension when they travel to play the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) The Vegas Golden Knights' debut on the Strip was a poignant smash.

James Neal scored twice during a thrilling four-goal first period, and the Golden Knights remained unbeaten three games into their inaugural season with a 5-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes in their home opener on Tuesday night.

Tomas Nosek scored the first home goal in franchise history just 2:31 into the first period, and Deryk Engelland added his first goal for his adopted hometown's new team moments later.

Marc-Andre Fleury made 31 saves for the Golden Knights, who became the first team in NHL history to begin their debut season with three straight wins.

Just nine days after the Las Vegas Strip shooting massacre, the Golden Knights reverently honored the victims and heroes before the long-awaited home debut of the city's first major professional sports franchise.

The Knights held a pregame ceremony during which the names of the shooting victims were projected in gold onto the ice during 58 seconds of silence. Engelland spoke eloquently to the fans, vowing that the Golden Knights ''will do everything we can to help you and our city heal. We are Vegas Strong.''

After that emotional outpouring, the Golden Knights charged into their home opener with some inspired hockey.

Nosek and Engelland connected in the opening minutes before Neal scored back-to-back goals in 4:27, giving him five goals in three games - and all three game-winning goals in team history. Vegas led 4-0 in less than 11 minutes, getting well on its way to a cathartic victory.

Oscar Lindberg scored in the second period for the Golden Knights, who opened their inaugural season with back-to-back road victories before returning home.

Tobias Rieder and Kevin Connauton scored for the Coyotes, who remained winless after losing back-to-back games to the expansion Golden Knights in a four-day stretch.

The crowd had scarcely quieted from the pregame festivities when Nosek, the Czech wing who spent the past two seasons with Detroit, fired a shot through Antti Raanta. Engelland, the veteran defenseman who has lived in Las Vegas since playing here for a minor league team several years ago, then took a pass from Brendan Leipsic and fired it through traffic.

Neal, who scored the first goal in franchise history, made it 3-0 just 6:15 into the first period and chased Raanta, who stopped only three shots. Neal added the first power-play goal in franchise history 4:27 later, setting off roars of excitement in T-Mobile Arena.

Connauton's goal in the third period was his first in his 27 games for the Coyotes.

The Golden Knights' opener was a bit more somber than the franchise originally planned, although the crowd was still whipped into a frenzy by its team's excellent play.

Before the game, the Golden Knights introduced their players alongside a member of the medical or law enforcement communities that responded to the massacre.

T-Mobile Arena had no ads on the boards around the ice for the opener. Instead, the all-white boards simply displayed the same message: ''Vegas Strong.''

NOTES: Coyotes forward Brendan Perlini left in the first period and didn't return due to an upper-body injury. ... Arizona's Mario Kempe made his NHL debut. The 29-year-old Swede spent the last three seasons in the KHL. He nearly made the Coyotes out of training camp, but briefly went to the AHL before replacing No. 3 overall pick Dylan Strome on the Coyotes' roster Monday. Kempe's younger brother, Adrian, plays for the Los Angeles Kings. ... Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis attended the game.

UP NEXT

Coyotes: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.

Golden Knights: Host the Red Wings on Friday.

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NEW YORK (AP) Carter Hutton made 16 of his 32 saves in the third period to help the St. Louis Blues remain unbeaten with a 3-1 win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

Carl Gunnarsson and Brayden Schenn scored first-period goals for St. Louis, which improved to 4-0. Jaden Schwartz added an empty-netter with 1:47 left.

Trailing 2-1, the Rangers pressured an injury-depleted Blues squad in the third period, outshooting St. Louis 16-8. New York outshot the Blues 32-23 overall but dropped to 1-3.

Hutton, in his first start of the season, was a significant reason why the Rangers were stymied. His three biggest stops occurred in the third period, beginning with Michael Grabner's short-handed semi-breakaway, later followed by Jimmy Vesey's stuff-in attempt during a goalmouth scrum, and Pavel Buchnevich's try from the low slot.

Buchnevich slammed his stick against the ice in frustration a moment after the whistle blew to stop play.

Even though the Rangers held an 11-7 advantage in shots, it was the Blues who went into the first intermission enjoying a 2-1 advantage. Gunnarsson opened the scoring at 15 seconds with his second of the season, a wide open wrist shot from the slot.

Mika Zibanejad tied the game 2:07 later with his fifth of the season on the power play.

New York was credited with six of the nine shots on goal following Zibanejad's goal, but it was the Blues who went ahead on Schenn's second of the season at 13:30 when the center banked Paul Stastny's rebound off goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

Benefiting a team that has started the season without Patrik Berglund (left shoulder), Jay Bouwmeester (left ankle), Robby Fabbri (left knee), Zach Sanford (left shoulder) and Alexander Steen (left hand) due to injuries, the Blues employed a tighter brand of hockey in a second period in which neither team scored and St. Louis had the two best opportunities.

The first was Scottie Upshall's short-handed semi-breakaway eight minutes into the second, and the other was Schwartz's drive from the left circle with 8:51 left, both of which were stopped by Lundqvist.

Lundqvist also was credited with a goalmouth stop on Stastny during a St. Louis power play in the third. New York's goalie finished with 20 saves.

NOTES: Adam Cracknell made his Rangers debut. New York picked up the 32-year-old right wing off waivers Monday from Dallas. He wore No. 25 and skated on the fourth line with Paul Carey and David Desharnais. . Prior to the game, New York announced rookie Filip Chytil had been assigned to AHL Hartford, and Andrew Desjardins was released from his professional tryout. . St. Louis announced it had reached an agreement with AHL San Antonio to be the Blues' affiliate. According to a statement from the Blues, they will share ''select players'' with San Antonio this season, and ''the official affiliation'' starts next season. . Blues coach Mike Yeo benched Dmitrij Jason for missing a team meeting, and scratched Wade Megan. . New York scratched defensemen Brendan Smith and Tony DeAngelo. It was the second straight game Smith, who signed a four-year, $17.4 million contract with New York on June 28, was a scratch.

UP NEXT

Blues: Visit the Florida Panthers on Thursday.

Rangers: Travel to Columbus to face the Blue Jackets on Friday.

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Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

DALLAS (AP) James Neal scored twice in the third period Friday night, rallying the Golden Knights to a 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars in the debut of the first major pro sports franchise in Las Vegas.

The expansion team was playing five days after the shooting that killed 58 people in Las Vegas, and the Dallas players honored the desert city by forming a line next to their Vegas counterparts before the national anthem.

With the video board reading ''Viva Las Vegas'' above the players, the public address announcer said ''Dallas stands with Vegas and those affected by the horrifying tragedy.''

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 45 of 46 shots to help the Golden Knights become the first expansion to open with a victory since the Ottawa Senators in 1992. They also spoiled coach Ken Hitchcock's return to Dallas 18 years after he directed the franchise's only Stanley Cup title.

Both of Neal's goals came against Kari Lehtonen after Ben Bishop left with an apparent facial injury after taking a puck to the mask. Bishop had stopped all 19 shots in his Dallas debut after coming over in a trade with Los Angeles and signing a long-term contract with the Stars.

A former Dallas player and expected to be a top offensive threat for the Golden Knights, Neal beat a screened Lehtonen between the legs midway through the third period for the tying goal.

The go-ahead goal came in transition when Neal got the puck past from Lehtonen from his knees with 2:44 remaining. Lehtonen shared the job with Antti Niemi the past two seasons, and the Stars made it clear in the offseason they were going a new direction at goalie.

Tyler Seguin opened the scoring late in the second period when he redirected a pass from Devin Shore past Marc-Andre Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup winner with Pittsburgh before being unprotected in the expansion draft.

The Stars had plenty to celebrate as well, marking 25 seasons since moving from Minnesota with plenty of highlights while three-time golf major winner Jordan Spieth and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback-turned-broadcaster Tony Romo watched from a suite.

The biggest pregame roar came when Hitchcock was introduced, right after a highlight reel that included Brett Hull's Stanley Cup-winning goal when Hitchcock was behind the bench in 1999.

Technically, it's the 24th season for the Dallas Stars because of the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season. They moved from Minnesota for the 1993-94 season.

UP NEXT

Golden Knights: At Arizona on Saturday night.

Stars: Hitchcock's return to St. Louis on Saturday night.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Pierre-Luc Dubois scored in his NHL debut and Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves in the Columbus Blue Jackets' 5-0 victory over the New York Islanders on Friday night in the season opener for both teams.

Rookie Sonny Milano scored 1:07 into the game, and the 19-year-old Dubois made it 5-0 midway through the second period. Arena. Cam Atkinson, Ryan Murray and Zach Werenski also scored, newcomer Artemi Panarin had three assists, and Alexander Wennberg added two assists.

Islanders starter Thomas Greiss made 21 saves before being pulled after giving up Dubois' goal. Jaroslav Halak stopped all 11 shots he faced in relief.

With all of the offensive opportunities created by the Blue Jackets, it could have been worse.

Columbus scored on its first shot of the season when Oliver Bjorkstrand shoveled the puck out from the back wall to Milano for a 10-footer that he snapped past Greiss.

Midway through the first period, Panarin circled in and teed up a pass that grazed Greiss' stick and was redirected into the net off Atkinson's skate. The whole sequence midway came about after Atkinson picked off a pass in the neutral zone and fed Panarin, who flashed some of the speed and offensive skill that led Columbus to acquire him from Chicago.

Murray scored from the left circle 6:57 into the second period after getting a pass from Panarin, who had carried the puck around the back of the net. Later on a power play, Werenski grabbed a sharp rebound and slammed it past Greiss from about 60 feet.

Dubois - the third overall pick in 2016 - got his first NHL goal, a wrister from the slot, 1:25 later.

NOTES: Atkinson has scored in four straight season openers. ... Panarin was the first player in Columbus franchise history to get three points in his club debut. ... The Blue Jackets loaned RW Josh Anderson to Cleveland of the American Hockey League for conditioning. He didn't participate in training camp because of a contract dispute. The team also sent D Markus Nutivaara to Cleveland. ... Columbus is the youngest team in the NHL with an average age of 25. .... D Ryan Pulock, D Scott Mayfield and C Joshua Ho-Sang were healthy scratches for New York. D Scott Harrington was scratched for Columbus. ... Shane Prince and Alan Quine are out with injuries for New York. ... Boone Jenner, who is out with an injury for Columbus, saw his consecutive-game streak stopped at 175.

UP NEXT:

New York: Hosts Buffalo on Saturday night.

Columbus: At Chicago on Saturday night.

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CHICAGO (AP) Brandon Saad scored three times in his return to Chicago and Ryan Hartman had a goal and four assists, helping the Blackhawks pound the Pittsburgh Penguins 10-1 on Thursday night.

Nick Schmaltz added two goals and an assist as Chicago kicked off its season in style with a runaway victory against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. Patrick Kane also had a goal and three assists in the Blackhawks' highest scoring game since a 10-1 win against Winnipeg on Oct. 12, 1988.

Pittsburgh was coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to St. Louis in its season opener on Wednesday, and it looked every bit like a team on the second half of back-to-back nights. Antti Niemi was pulled after allowing four goals on 13 shots in his Penguins debut, forcing Matt Murray to come in after he took the loss against the Blues.

Sidney Crosby found Phil Kessel for a power-play goal at 2:05 of the second period, but Chicago already had a 5-0 lead at that point. It was the most goals allowed by Pittsburgh since a 10-8 loss to San Jose on Jan. 13, 1996.

The Blackhawks won the Central Division last season and finished with the most points in the Western Conference. But they were swept by Nashville in their second consecutive first-round loss, leading to a flurry of moves by admittedly angry general manager Stan Bowman.

Chicago, which won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015, scored three goals in 13 periods in the series against Nashville. It got four in the first 9:16 against Pittsburgh.

Ryan Hartman scored off a slick pass from Kane at 6:21. After Saad got his first off a rush with Richard Panik, Kane made another great pass to set up Schmaltz's backhander at 7:34. Saad then beat Niemi with a well-placed shot through a crowd in front, and the rout was on.

The 24-year-old Saad began his career with Chicago and helped the Blackhawks win two Stanley Cups before he was traded to Columbus after the 2015 season. Bowman got him back in a blockbuster trade with the Blue Jackets in June, parting with dynamic winger Artemi Panarin in a multiplayer deal.

For one night at least, it looked like a smart move. Saad finished off his hat trick at 5:21 of the third, and Brent Seabrook made it 10-1 with a rebound goal with 6:15 remaining.

Hartman set a career high for points and assists in a game in Chicago's highest-scoring opener, topping an 8-6 victory at Nashville on Oct. 5, 2006. Patrick Sharp also scored in his return to Chicago after signing a team-friendly, one-year deal with the Blackhawks in the offseason.

The one downer for the Blackhawks was an injury for Schmaltz in the third. He skated off gingerly at 7:49 and was helped to the locker room.

NOTES: Sharp's first-period goal was his 600th career point. ... Blackhawks F Marian Hossa was greeted with a huge roar when he was introduced with the team before the game. Hossa has been ruled out for the season due to a progressive skin disorder, and it's unclear if he will be able to play again. ... Former Blackhawks F Bryan Bickell received a standing ovation when he took one more skate with the team during the pregame festivities. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last November and signed a one-day contract Wednesday to retire with the Blackhawks.

UP NEXT

Penguins: Host Nashville on Saturday night.

Blackhawks: Host Columbus on Saturday night.

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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey

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Jay Cohen can be reached at https://twitter.com/jcohenap

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