The Vegas Golden Knights (37-26-17) beat the Colorado Avalanche (52-16-11), 3-2, in overtime on Saturday at Ball Arena to secure their ticket to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
HOW IT WENT DOWN
Devon Toews struck first on a power play to give Colorado a 1-0 lead midway through the first period. Mark Stone responded with a power-play goal of his own to get the Golden Knights on the board with 6:13 remaining in the opening frame. Mitch Marner fired a shot from the blue line, and Tomas Hertl tipped the puck to Stone in the slot, where he settled it and slipped a backhand past Mackenzie Blackwood. Pavel Dorofeyev opened the second frame with his 36th goal of the season to give the Golden Knights a 2-1 edge. Ivan Barbashev gathered the puck at the goal line and sent it to Dorofeyev in the circle, where he netted a top-shelf one-timer. Nick Blankenburg later pulled the Avalanche even, 2-2, with a goal in the second period. Neither club lit the lamp in the final frame, and the game was sent to overtime. At 1:19 into extra time, Jack Eichel netted the game-winner to secure a 3-2 victory over Colorado. Eichel carried the puck end to end on an odd-man rush and lifted it past Blackwood for the unassisted goal. Carter Hart turned aside 30 of 32 shots to lift the Golden Knights to victory.
TOP PERFORMERS
Jack Eichel: Eichel scored the game-winning goal in overtime for the third time this season, the second-most overtime goals in a single season in VGK history.
Carter Hart: Hart posted a .938 save percentage in the victory and has gone 4-0-0 since his return to the lineup from injury on April 2.
Mark Stone: Stone netted the first goal for Vegas to boost his point total to 70 (27G, 43A) in 58 GP this season.
Pavel Dorofeyev: Dorofeyev scored his team-leading 36th goal of the season to reach a new career high.
VGK STATS OF THE KNIGHT
The Golden Knights clinched a playoff spot for the eighth time in nine seasons, becoming the fourth franchise in NHL history to reach the postseason at least eight times in their first nine years.
Eichel scored the game-winning goal in overtime for the sixth time as a Golden Knight, the third most in franchise history.
Eichel recorded his 20th VGK game-winning goal, the fifth most in team history.
Pavel Dorofeyev's 36 goals are a career-high and the third-most in a single season in Vegas history.
Mark Stone has netted four goals in his last four games, with three goals scored in his last two appearances.
In six games, John Tortorella has gone 5-0-1 behind the Vegas bench.
WHEN VGK WINS, YOU WIN!
Fans can receive six free boneless or traditional wings at any Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant location throughout the greater Vegas metro area with a $10+ qualifying pre-tax purchase of food and non-alcoholic beverages, available for two days after any 2025-2026 VGK Win.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Golden Knights open their final homestand of the season against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday, with puck drop at 7 p.m at T-Mobile Arena. Watch the game on Scripps Sports (The Spot-Vegas 34 in Vegas), stream on KnightTime+, or listen live on FOX Sports Las Vegas 94.7/1340.
