The Golden Knights are aiming to secure their eighth playoff series victory in franchise history as they face off in St. Paul, Minnesota to take on the Wild. Currently, the Golden Knights lead the series 3-2 but will be without their top goal scorer, Pavel Dorofeyev, who is sidelined due to injury. Meanwhile, Minnesota is looking to avoid elimination and hopes to force a Game 7 back in Vegas this Saturday.
In the first period, the Golden Knights capitalized on a power-play opportunity. Shea Theodore sniped the puck past Filip Gustavsson’s blocker side through traffic, giving Vegas an early lead.
Ryan Hartman tied the game with just four seconds left in the first period by sending a knuckle puck to the net, which beat Adin Hill.
Shortly after, Jack Eichel scored his first goal in the Stanley Cup playoffs, receiving a beautiful touch pass from Mark Stone and beating Gustavsson’s glove side. Eichel has recorded four points in the last two games for the Golden Knights after going scoreless in the first four games.
Mark Stone scored to make it 3-1 at 16:02 of the third period, showcasing his hand-eye coordination by batting down Brayden McNabb’s pass and into the back of the net.
Ryan Hartman kept Minnesota’s hopes alive by scoring his second goal of the game just 31 seconds after Mark Stone’s goal, jamming a rebound past Adin Hill.
However, Hartman’s two-goal performance was not enough, as Hill made some timely saves at the end of the game, finishing the night with 29 saves.
The Golden Knights won 3-2, advancing to the second round of the playoffs, where they will await the series winner between the LA Kings and the Edmonton Oilers.
With Minnesota being eliminated, this marked the final game of Marc-Andre Fleury’s NHL career, as he had announced earlier this season that this would be his last dance.
Fleury played for 21 seasons, including four with the Golden Knights, and he retires as a three-time Stanley Cup champion, having won all his titles with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He also retires as the second all-time leader in wins by a goalie, with a total of 575 victories.
The Minnesota Wild, the Golden Knights, and the referees all showed great respect for the legendary goaltender as he waved goodbye and then headed straight to the locker room.
Make sure to stay tuned to Vegas Sports Today for updates and news on VGK hockey and the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
