Vegas Golden Knights forward William Carrier has come through in crucial moments a number of times this season, most recently, of course, with his game-winning goal in the final minute of Thursday's 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks.
The goal served as Carrier's seventh game winner of the season, tying him for third in the league with Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point. Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl and Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor lead the league with nine and eight, respectively.
"I've been having a good year," Carrier told the media after Thursday's game. "Obviously, I'm pretty sure they have a lot more goals than I do. But high scoring is clutch, right? So I'll take that. But I mean, I like playing with Stevie [Chandler Stephenson], right? I'm getting those nets and we're screening ... we're rolling right now."
Carrier's goal Thursday night completed Vegas' third-period comeback after coming out of the second intermission down 1-0.
"Stevie's been giving me that," Carrier said. "There's almost more panic. I was like, 'Oh no, wide open net.' ... I had a few this year where you get a stick save or had a few there when it wasn't going so well for us in that New York trip where the goalie was unbelievable. So I might have shot down a little hard and high, I was going to make sure he was not going to get anything on it."
Carrier now has a total of 15 goals on the season and is en route to having a career season. The original Golden Knight talked about what's made the difference for him in his 2022-23 campaign.
"Just more poise, picking the net and obviously, playing with Stevie's a lot of -- not anything [against] who I played with in the past years, but playing with Stevie is -- he's an All-Star," Carrier said. "And just get open and he'll find the play. He's got the poise where he pulled up three goals there and the goalie, so I was wide open."
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