LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brett Howden scored 4:05 into additional time Tuesday evening to offer the Golden Knights a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild and put Vegas one sport away from advancing out of the Western Convention first spherical.
The Golden Knights take a 3-2 collection lead again to St. Paul for Thursday evening’s Sport 6. Vegas, which had the second-best file within the Pacific Division this season and gained the Stanley Cup in 2023, will attempt to advance to no less than the second spherical for the fifth time of their eight-year historical past.
Minnesota will try to keep away from one other first-round collection exit. The Wild’s final collection victory occurred in 2015 when the Wild made the second spherical.
William Karlsson and Mark Stone additionally scored targets for the Golden Knights, and Jack Eichel had two assists. Eichel had only one help within the first 4 video games. Adin Hill made 20 saves.
Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy scored for the Wild and Joel Eriksson Ek had assists on each. Kaprizov has no less than one level in all 5 video games and 9 for the collection, and Boldy leads each groups with 5 targets this postseason. Filip Gustavsson recorded 23 saves on 25 photographs earlier than being changed by former Golden Knight Marc-Andre Fleury to open the third interval.
The Wild mentioned Gustavsson had an sickness. Fleury, who stays a fan favourite, made six saves, however did not face his first shot till 6:15 remained within the third interval. This playoff look gave Fleury a goalies file 18 years competing within the playoffs, breaking a tie shared with Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur.
The groups traded particular groups targets 13 seconds aside within the first interval on the identical energy play. Eichel handed to Karlsson on a 2-on-1 breakaway for a shorthanded purpose, and the Wild then answered when Mats Zuccarello related with Kaprizov on a cross-ice move to even the rating.
Stone put the Golden Knights again in entrance with 6:36 left within the first interval, scoring from the highest of the slot after taking a move from Eichel.
Minnesota had a fantastic alternative to once more tie the sport when Zuccarello skated out of the penalty field and was alone with Hill. However Zuccarello misplaced the puck, and the Golden Knights remained in entrance.
That is the way in which the rating stayed till Boldy scored in entrance of the online 3:31 into the third interval to tie the sport.
The Wild appeared on the verge of successful when Ryan Hartman put the puck previous Hill with 1:15 left. Officers checked the replay to see if Hartman kicked within the puck, however after ruling it a very good purpose, the Golden Knights challenged that Gustav Nyquist was offside. Video evaluate upheld the problem, overturning the purpose and retaining the sport tied.
That set the sport for Howden’s winner and third purpose of this collection, taking a Tanner Pearson move from under the purpose line and scoring from simply contained in the left circle.
This was the Golden Knights’ one centesimal playoff sport. Solely the Edmonton Oilers performed in that many of their first eight seasons.
Karlsson has competed in all 100, however this was his first time taking part in within the common season or playoffs at wing underneath third-year Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy, in keeping with SinBin.vegas. Karlsson, usually a middle, performed wing 10 different occasions underneath Cassidy’s two predecessors.
The Golden Knights have gained 41 consecutive playoff video games when scoring three or extra targets.
