Ivan Barbashev scored at 17:26 of overtime to propel the Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-3 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild in Game 4 of their first-round series on Saturday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center. The series is tied, 2-2.
HOW IT WENT DOWN
Early in the first period, a Minnesota Wild penalty set the scene for Shea Theodore's first goal of the series to put Vegas up, 1-0. Goals from Marco Rossi and Marcus Foligno helped the Wild take a 2-1 lead heading into the third period. In the final frame, Nicolas Roy notched his first goal of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a power-play marker to tie the game at 2-2. The Golden Knights took the lead when Mark Stone's shot went off Tomas Hertl’s right leg and into the back of the net to make it 3-2. Just 54 seconds later, Jared Spurgeon answered for Minnesota to force the game into overtime. Late into the first extra session, Barbashev scored the game-winning goal to clinch a 4-3 win and tie the series.
TOP PERFORMERS
Ivan Barbashev: Barbashev (1G, 1A) assisted on Theodore's goal before scoring the game-winner in OT, the first in his career.
Tomas Hertl: Hertl (1G, 1A) scored the go-ahead goal in the third.
Shea Theodore: Theodore opened the scoring for Vegas with his first goal of the series.
Nicolas Roy: Roy (1G, 1A) notched his ninth career playoff goal and first of 2025 postseason to tie the game.
Adin Hill: Hill stopped 29-of-32 shots to help seal the victory.
SERIES AT A GLANCEGame 1: Golden Knights 4, Wild 2 | Highlights
Game 2: Wild 5, Golden Knights 2 | Highlights
Game 3: Wild 5, Golden Knights 2 | Highlights
Game 4: Golden Knights 4, Wild 3 | Highlights
Game 5: Tuesday, April 29 – Time TBD | T-Mobile Arena | BUY TICKETS
Game 6: Thursday, May 1 – Time TBD | Xcel Energy Center
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, May 3 – Time TBD | T-Mobile Arena | BUY TICKETS
VGK STATS OF THE KNIGHTJack Eichel reached 34 postseason points (9G, 25A) in his 33rd playoff game with an assist on Theodore's goal. Eichel became the third-fastest U.S.-born player in Stanley Cup Playoff history to reach 25 career postseason assists.
Vegas now has eight players on its roster who have scored a playoff overtime goal: Barbashev, Hertl, Roy Brett Howden, William Karlsson, Tanner Pearson, Reilly Smith and Mark Stone.
Vegas had 46 shots in the win, the most they have had so far in the series.
Since their inaugural season in 2017-18, the Golden Knights have recorded 10 third-period comeback wins in the playoffs, trailing only the Avalanche (11) for the most among all teams.
LOOKING AHEADThe Golden Knights will return home for Game 5 of the first-round series against Minnesota on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena. Time is TBD. Watch Game 5 on Vegas 34 in Las Vegas or listen on FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340, and Deportes Vegas 1460.
