Fleury, Golden Knights blank Predators 3-0 for 8th straight

Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury deflects the puck on a shot by the Nashville Predators during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury deflects the puck on a shot by the Nashville Predators during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 27 shots in his second shutout of the season, leading the Vegas Golden Knights past the Nashville Predators 3-0 on Tuesday night for their eighth straight victory.

Reilly Smith, Shea Theodore and Jonathan Marchessault scored for the Western Conference leaders. Fleury improved to 8-1-1 with his 46th career shutout.

Vegas has won eight in a row and earned at least one point in 13 consecutive games, both NHL records for a first-year team. The expansion Golden Knights are 17-2-1 at home and 27-9-2 overall.

Pekka Rinne made 28 saves for the Predators, last year's Western Conference champions.

Nashville's penalty kill on the road ranks first in the league, but Vegas converted its lone opportunity with the man advantage.

Smith caught Rinne giving space between his right leg and the post, skated around a defender and sent a shot off the back of the goalie's pad and in for a power-play goal at 12:10 of the second period.

Theodore made it 2-0 at 13:41 when he smacked a one-timer from the point that trickled through Rinne's legs.

Marchessault capped the scoring with an empty-net goal late in the third.

Nashville, which ranks second in the league on the power play, was 0 for 2 with the man advantage.

Playing their fourth road game in the last five, the Predators were shut out for just the second time this season. Nashville also was blanked by Pittsburgh 4-0 on Oct. 7.

NOTES: The crowd of 18,171 was the third-largest for Vegas. ... Vegas forward Erik Haula played in his 400th career game. ... Golden Knights goalie Malcolm Subban is the younger brother of Nashville defenseman P.K. Subban. ... Vegas is 17-1-0 when scoring first, best in the NHL.

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Predators: At the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday.

Golden Knights: At the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.

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