Game 5 between the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks is tied 2–2 after four tightly contested matchups, with every game decided by two goals or fewer. Vegas opened the series strong, but Anaheim answered back in Game 4 with a 4–3 win to even things up and swing momentum heading into a pivotal night.
Vegas has leaned on balanced depth scoring throughout the series, with key contributions from players like Pavel Dorofeyev, Brett Howden, and Mitch Marner . Anaheim has countered with timely scoring and strong goaltending from Lukas Dostal, keeping every game competitive.
Speaking of goaltending, Carter Hart has been a major stabilizer for Vegas, continuing a strong postseason run where he’s posted a .910 save percentage and 2.49 goals-against average, including standout performances like a 33-save Game 1 win.
Now with the series shifting back to Vegas, Game 5 becomes a crucial turning point with both teams searching for control.
Here is the full recap of today’s game:
The Vegas Golden Knights came out flying in Game 5, establishing their offensive rhythm early, but the tone of the night shifted in a major way midway through the opening frame. Defenseman Brayden McNabb was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct after a late hit on Ryan Poehling, who did not return to the game. The Ducks capitalized on the extended power play when the 20 year old, Beckett Sennecke buried his fifth goal of the postseason, giving Anaheim a 1–0 lead and early momentum on the road.
Vegas responded with its special teams punching back in a big way. Pavel Dorofeyev continued his breakout postseason, ripping home the equalizer off a high-end individual sequence after forcing a turnover in his own zone, stripping Chris Kreider and walking in before snapping a blocker-side finish past Lukas Dostal on the power play. Dorofeyev shot it so hard, half the arena did not know it was in until the goal horn went off.
The game remained tied 1–1 into the second intermission, setting the stage for another tightly contested finish.
The Golden Knights finally broke through in the third period when Tomas Hertl delivered a crucial go-ahead goal in front of the net and gets his second of the postseason and a major confidence boost after snapping a lengthy 29 game goalless drought in Anaheim last Sunday.
Anaheim, however, refused to go away. With just over three minutes remaining, a slick passing sequence from Cutter Gauthier to Mason McTavish to Olen Zellweger ended with a bar-down finish for Zellweger’s first of the playoffs, tying the game 2–2 and forcing overtime for the first time in this series.
Extra time didn’t last long. 4:10 into the OT period, Pavel Dorofeyev delivered the decisive moment, finishing his second goal of the night after Jack Eichel drove the net and created chaos in front. Dorofeyev batted the puck out of midair and buried it bar down on Dostal, sealing a 3–2 overtime victory for Vegas and a 3–2 series lead. The Golden Knights remain perfect in OT this postseason at 3–0.
A major storyline once again was goaltender Carter Hart, who was outstanding for Vegas, stopping 34 of 36 shots for a .944 save percentage. It marked his third game of the series allowing two goals or fewer while facing 30+ shots, continuing his strong postseason form and giving Vegas stability in high-pressure moments.
Postgame, Dorofeyev described the overtime winner while John Tortorella praised Hertl’s growing confidence and addressed the impact of McNabb’s major penalty that led to Anaheim’s early power-play goal.
The Golden Knights now head deeper into the series with momentum, one win away from closing out a hard-fought matchup. The Knights will have the opportunity to make it to their 3rd Western Conference final this Thursday if they can close out the Ducks in Orange County.
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