Nico Hischier scored, and Allen made 34 saves for New Jersey (32-32-4), which has lost four of five.
“We're right there to the end,” Allen said. “It was a great hockey game. It was a great game, entertaining. We played hard. They're a good hockey team. A good team at home, especially in this barn. They have a really good record over the years, and it was a hard-fought battle. We were right there at the end. Maybe one bounce goes our way it is a totally different game.”
Hischier gave New Jersey a 1-0 lead just 38 seconds into the third period, scoring with a wrist shot in the slot after Hanifin cleared Jesper Bratt’s shot off the goal line.
“I liked [the] first 50 minutes of the game,” New Jersey coach Travis Green said. “They physically took over the last 10 minutes of the game. Whether we were weathered, whether they just raised their game, I thought they had some momentum at different parts. I thought we carried the momentum throughout the game as well. It was back and forth. I thought it was a step in the right direction from last night (a 4-1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes).”
William Carrier tied it 1-1 at 2:57, redirecting Alex Pietrangelo’s wrist shot from above the left circle past Allen.
“Good for Will, that’s his game,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He’s missed some time here. Any time you get on the score sheet, whether you shoot the puck in the net or it goes off you, that’s good for a guy’s confidence. Happy for him. … When you need a goal from somewhere else, and that fourth line you can consider somewhere else, that gives you some juice.”
NOTES: Vegas defenseman Ben Hutton and forward Ivan Barbashev each played in his 500th NHL game. … Hanifin has four assists in five games since he was acquired by Vegas in a trade with the Calgary Flames on March 6.