Overtime is Knight Time: Golden Knights Dominate OT in 2020-21

For any team to be successful, players need to step up in big moments to be difference-makers when the game is on the line.
During the 2020-21 regular season, the Vegas Golden Knights saw their star players take charge in key moments to help the team to a league-best 9-0 record in overtime games. Only the Florida Panthers had more overtime victories than Vegas, but the Panthers had three losses in the extra session to go with their 10 wins.

The extra points that the Golden Knights earned in those overtime games helped them finish second in the Honda West Division. Vegas matched the Colorado Avalanche in points with 82 through the 56-game regular season but lost out on the top spot due to tiebreakers.
Still, Vegas' success in overtime helped put the team in a position to chase down the President's Trophy and the top spot in the division. If not for the perfect overtime record, the Golden Knights could have been in a battle with the Minnesota Wild to secure home ice in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Only three of Vegas' 12 overtime games saw the clock hit zeroes and require a shootout.
"We've gotten timely saves and the guys have an expectation that they're going to win," said Head Coach Pete DeBoer after the team's overtime victory on May 7. "There's a confidence level there so it's not tactics or anything else. It's just a confidence level in the group that's hard to explain."
On the team's nine overtime goals, 10 different players recorded at least one point. Max Pacioretty was the top contributor to the extra-session excellence as he scored four game-winning goals in overtime. Jonathan Marchessault also had four points in overtime this season as he scored two game-winners and had two game-deciding assists during 3-on-3 play.
Mark Stone and Alex Tuch each recorded three overtime assists in 2020-21. Even Robin Lehner got in on the action as he picked up a secondary assist on Marchessault's game-winner on May 7.
Jan. 16: Golden Knights 2, Ducks 1 (OT)
In their second game of the season, the Golden Knights found themselves in a 1-0 hole late in regulation against the Anaheim Ducks. William Karlsson scored with less than two minutes remaining to send the game to overtime and the stage was set for the first overtime thriller of the year. As the puck dropped, Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty swarmed the Ducks to gain possession and burst into the offensive zone in a 2-on-1. Stone fed Pacioretty who delivered the game-winner as the Golden Knights won for the first time in their gold uniforms.

Feb. 27: Golden Knights 3, Ducks 2 (OT)
Karlsson scored his second breakaway goal of the game at 3:23 of overtime to lift Vegas to a 3-2 win on Feb. 27 at Honda Center. The goal came after Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside a Ryan Getzlaf chance and Shea Theodore started Vegas the other way. Reilly Smith caught a pass at the Vegas blueline and sent Karlsson in alone the other way. The forward deked left and carried the puck to the right a slipped a backhand shot home for the game-winning goal.

March 1: Golden Knights 5, Wild 4 (OT)
When Vegas and Minnesota hit the ice for overtime on March 1, Mark Stone already had four assists in his back pocket. At the 2:00 mark of overtime he added his fifth as he outwaited a sprawled-out Jared Spurgeon to feed Pacioretty for the game-deciding goal. The win triggered a frenzy among the 2,605 fans who were the first to return to T-Mobile Arena for a Golden Knights game in nearly one year.

March 5: Golden Knights 5, Sharks 4 (OT)
After the Sharks erased a two-goal deficit in the third period, it was Pacioretty who broke through in overtime with his third game-winner of the season. Alex Pietrangelo wound the puck up through the neutral zone and completed a give-and-go with Stone in the offensive end. With the three Sharks defenders glued to him, Pietrangelo dished it to Pacioretty who slipped a shot through Devan Dubnyk for his second OT goal of the week.

March 12: Golden Knights 5, Blues 4 (OT)
Smith added to Vegas' overtime success with a power-play goal in St. Louis on March 12. Alex Martinez and Marchessault worked the puck at the top of the offensive zone before Marchessault zipped a pass to Smith who leaned into a one-timer. His shot beat Jordan Binnington to give the Golden Knights their fifth overtime win of the season.

March 27: Golden Knights 3, Avalanche 2 (OT)
The Golden Knights needed a bounce-back performance after a 5-1 loss to the Avalanche on March 25 and they got just that with a 3-2 OT win on March 27. Alex Tuch used his speed to create chaos in front of the Colorado net to allow Pacioretty to jam home his fourth overtime goal of the season.

May 1: Golden Knights 3, Coyotes 2 (OT)
Vegas opened the month of May with a thrilling overtime win in Arizona thanks to Marchessault's first overtime marker of the season. With the Golden Knights on a power play midway through the extra frame, Pietrangelo and Marchessault worked the puck around until Marchessault found space for a one-timer on the left wing. Vegas fans who made the trip to Gila River Arena erupted in celebration of the team's seventh overtime victory of the year.

May 5: Golden Knights 3, Wild 2 (OT)
Pietrangelo was the hero for Vegas on May 5 as he, Marchessault and Tuch worked the puck around the offensive zone. All three Minnesota defenders locked on Tuch as he slid a pass through to Pietrangelo for the game-winner at 1:53 of overtime.

May 7: Golden Knights 4, Blues 3 (OT)
Marchessault's goal in the dying second of overtime on May 7 was the cherry on top of a two-goal comeback victory for the Golden Knights against the Blues. After Alec Martinez and Nicolas Roy scored to force overtime, Tuch found Marchessault alone in the offensive zone where he beat Binnington for the ninth walk-off win for the Golden Knights of the season.