The Vegas Golden Knights have reached the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the sixth time in franchise history and will take on the Anaheim Ducks for the right to reach the Western Conference Final. This will mark the first time in NHL history these two franchises have met in the postseason.
SERIES SCHEDULE
All times Pacific
Game 1: Monday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. | T-Mobile Arena | BUY TICKETS
Game 2: Wednesday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m. | T-Mobile Arena | BUY TICKETS
Game 3: Friday, May 8 - 6:30 p.m. | Honda Center
Game 4: Sunday, May 10 - 6:30 p.m. | Honda Center
Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday, May 12 - Time TBD | T-Mobile Arena | BUY TICKETS
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, May 14 - Time TBD | Honda Center
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, May 16 - Time TBD | T-Mobile Arena | BUY TICKETS
REGULAR SEASON SERIES VS. ANAHEIM
The Golden Knights dropped the season series to the Ducks with a record of 0-1-2, with two of the three games requiring overtime. In their first meeting, on Nov. 8, at T-Mobile Arena, the Golden Knights fell to the Ducks, 4-3. Brett Howden, Pavel Dorofeyev and Kaedan Korczak each found the back of the net for Vegas. Korczak’s tally came late in the third period to force overtime, but a three-point performance by Leo Carlsson and an overtime winner from Jacob Trouba led Anaheim to the 4-3 win. Two weeks later, on Nov. 22, Vegas saw goals from Shea Theodore, Braeden Bowman, and Tomas Hertl to lead 3-2 after the first period. Anaheim scored a late second-period goal to tie things at three before a scoreless third period from both sides sent the game to overtime, where Cutter Gauthier scored with just over a minute remaining. In their final meeting on Feb. 1, at Honda Center, the Golden Knights attempted to claw out of a 3-0 deficit midway through the second period with goals from Mitch Marner and Ivan Barbashev to make it 3-2, but Ryan Poehling halted the comeback bid for Vegas with an empty-net tally. Hertl potted a goal in the final seconds of the game for the final score of 4-3.
Jack Eichel (4A) and Barbashev (1G, 2A) led the way for the Golden Knights against the Ducks during the three contests. Eight different skaters scored a goal for Vegas against Anaheim this season. Trouba and Troy Terry paced the Ducks with five points (1G, 4A) each against the Golden Knights. Carlsson recorded four points (2G, 2A) in his two games against the Golden Knights, while Jackson LaCombe (2G, 1A), Gauthier (2G, 1A) and Olen Zellweger (1G, 2A) were point-per-game players in their three appearances against Vegas.
FIRST ROUND RECAP
The Golden Knights eliminated the Utah Mammoth in six games to advance to the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After the Golden Knights claimed a 4-2 win in Game 1, the Mammoth answered with a 3-2 victory in Game 2 and a 4-2 victory in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead. Vegas tied the series with a 5-4 overtime win in Game 4 and reclaimed the series lead with a 5-4 double overtime victory in Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena. The Golden Knights closed out the series with a 5-1 win in Game 6 at Delta Center to punch their ticket to the Second Round. Jack Eichel (1G, 8A) recorded a team-high nine points in the series win against the Mammoth, tied for the second-most among all skaters in the First Round. The Golden Knights also saw scoring from Mitch Marner (2G, 5A), who recorded seven points, and Ivan Barbashev (2G, 4A) with six points. Brett Howden and Pavel Dorofeyev led Vegas with four goals each.
Anaheim knocked out the Edmonton Oilers in the First Round in their third all-time meeting in the postseason as the Ducks won the series in six games. Edmonton took Game 1 in a tight 4-3 contest before Anaheim rattled off three straight wins to take a 3-1 series lead. Edmonton defended home ice by a score of 4-1 over Anaheim to avoid elimination in Game 5, but the Ducks were able to close the series at the Honda Center in Game 6, defeating the Oilers 5-2 to advance to the Second Round for the first time since 2017. The Ducks led the NHL with 26 goals to begin the postseason, while Anaheim's power play went 8-for-16 in the First Round series to pace all playoff teams with a 50.0 power-play percentage. Jackson LaCombe finished the series with (1G, 8A) nine points and is tied to lead the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs in assists. LaCombe leads all defensemen in points and assists and set the Ducks single series record for points and assists by a defenseman in the First Round. Cutter Gauthier and Ryan Poehling led Anaheim with four goals each in the series.
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS PLAYOFF HISTORY
The Vegas Golden Knights reached the postseason for the eighth time in their first nine seasons in 2026 and have advanced to the Second Round for the sixth time. Vegas has qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for four consecutive seasons, including the organization’s first Stanley Cup title in 2023 when the Golden Knights defeated the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, and Florida Panthers to win the championship. The Golden Knights’ 13 series victories and 66 wins are both tied for the most in the NHL since 2018. Vegas has won at least one playoff series in six of its eight postseason runs and has made three appearances in the Western Conference Final. The Golden Knights have four players on their roster who have put up 60-or-more points in the postseason for the franchise in Mark Stone (77pts in 81 games), Reilly Smith (72pts in 105 games), William Karlsson (71pts in 106 games), and Shea Theodore (69pts in 111 games).
ANAHEIM DUCKS PLAYOFF HISTORY
The Ducks are competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 15th time in franchise history and for the first time since 2018. Anaheim has compiled an all-time playoff record of 93-75 (.554), with its .551-win percentage. Anaheim has appeared in 30 playoff series all-time, posting a 17-13 record in those matchups, highlighted by two trips to the Stanley Cup Final, including in 2007 when the Ducks captured the ultimate prize, defeating the Ottawa Senators in five games. This postseason marks Anaheim’s 12th playoff appearance in the last 20 years and the ninth time advancing to the Second Round in 15 opportunities, most recently knocking off the defending Western Conference Champion Edmonton Oilers in six games on April 30. The Ducks are led by head coach Joel Quenneville, who is in his 21st appearance as a head coach in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and first with Anaheim. Quenneville guided Chicago to championships in 2010, 2013, and 2015, and his 125 Stanley Cup Playoff wins and 228 playoff games coached are second all-time among NHL coaches.
