Paul Cotter scored the lone goal for Vegas (2-0-0).
"Good for [Paul], we needed it," Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. "It was the only goal of the game. He can shoot the puck. We know that. He has separation speed. We know that. … We'll take goals from anybody."
Alex Stalock made 36 saves for Chicago (0-2-0).
"I can't show up and give it half effort," he said. "I'm not a huge guy (5-foot-11, 170 pounds), so I got to use my body in a way it's effective. Sometimes if it's coming out and being more aggressive, it works. Sometimes, it's sitting back to see the play. Tonight, obviously, you see a few instances I got scrambly, but I kept the puck out of the net and our D came and helped out."
Stalock, who was diagnosed with myocarditis in 2020, only made one NHL start last season after missing the entire 2020-21 season.
"I know in the last couple of years he hasn't played a lot with injuries and COVID," Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. "He's a real battler. I've seen him battle before, but when he's on your team, you really see the work he puts in. It's really nice to see and the guys really play hard in front of him."
Cotter gave the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead at 8:44 of the second period. He received a breakout pass from Zach Whitecloud, skated in on a 2-on-1, and shot short side past the glove of Stalock from the right circle.
"I just shot it as hard as I could, and the big man upstairs took care of the rest," Cotter said. "It's a 0-0 game at that point. We need shots. In a game like that, it's a weird goal that will go in."
