Vegas takes over No. 1 spot in overall NHL standings

The Golden Knights are giving Vegas an incredible, odds-beating story in their first year on the ice.

With a roster built on everybody else's spare parts, this expansion team has the whole league playing catch-up.

James Neal and Jonathan Marchessault scored to help the Golden Knights beat the host Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 on Sunday night, giving the first-year franchise the best record in the NHL.

The Golden Knights are 31-11-4, good for 66 points. That's one ahead of Tampa Bay, which had the night off. Vegas is two victories shy of tying the record for wins by an expansion team.

Just don't expect the veteran-heavy Golden Knights to get caught up in their unexpected standing.

"It's an interesting story, and it's still being written," forward Colin Miller said.

Miller had a goal and two assists, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves for Vegas. The Golden Knights finished 2-1-1 on this road trip.

This trip to Raleigh went much better for Vegas coach Gerard Gallant than his last. In his previous visit in November 2016, he was fired at the arena by the Florida Panthers. While the team bus took away his players, Gallant was left to wait for a taxi.

Winnipeg 1, Vancouver 0: Connor Hellebuyck made 29 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and the Jets extended their home winning streak to six games. Patrik Laine scored his team-leading 21st goal in the first period. Winnipeg moved into first place in the Central Division, one point ahead of idle Nashville.