The Vegas Golden Knights beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 in overtime Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena, taking a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven second-round playoff series.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice, including the winner just over four minutes into overtime.
Beckett Sennecke gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead on the power play with 7:24 left in the first period. Less than four minutes later, Dorofeyev answered with a Vegas power-play goal, ripping a shot past Lukas Dostal from the high slot after Tomas Hertl’s earlier chance was blocked wide.
The second period went scoreless.
At 4:48 of the third period, Hertl gave the Golden Knights their first lead of the night. Rasmus Andersson sent the puck toward the net, and Hertl found the loose puck before beating Dostal five-hole for a 2-1 Vegas lead.
That one hurt for Ducks’ fans. Not because Anaheim was getting run out of the rink, but because the team was very much in it.
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Zellweger gives the Ducks a late chance
Olen Zellweger tied it 2-2 with 3:05 left in regulation, sending the game to overtime and giving Anaheim a real chance to steal Game 5. The Ducks had already shown they could answer in this series. Game 4 proved that. This was another chance to turn the pressure back on Vegas.
However, Dorofeyev won it in overtime after Jack Eichel kept the puck alive in the offensive zone. Eichel sent it toward Dorofeyev, who gathered a bounce off Dostal’s pad and lifted the puck into the net for the 3-2 Vegas win.
NHL.com reports that Dorofeyev now has a career-high seven goals this postseason, while Eichel picked up his 14th assist of the playoffs. Eichel also leads the league with six assists on game-tying goals this postseason, according to the same report.
Carter Hart stopped 34 of 36 shots and finished with a .944 save percentage, which tells you Anaheim had enough looks to win this game.
Game 6 becomes simple
Anaheim now heads home for Game 6 on Thursday, May 14 at the Honda Center. Vegas has the 3-2 series lead, and the Ducks no longer have room for a soft period, a loose shift, or a missed chance on the man advantage.
From a Ducks fan’s side of this, Game 5 was brutal because it was winnable. Sennecke scored. Zellweger came through late. Anaheim put 36 shots on Hart. Still, Vegas got the last bounce, the last finish, and the series lead.
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