The Vegas Golden Knights took down the Utah Mammoth in double overtime with a 5-4 win in Game 5 of the First Round on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena to take a 3-2 lead in the series.
HOW IT WENT DOWN
Utah broke through first when John Marino found the back of the net with just under three minutes remaining in the opening frame. Vegas evened the score at one on the man advantage with 41 seconds left in the period as Pavel Dorofeyev received a pass from Tomas Hertl in the right faceoff circle and fired a wrist shot past Karel Vejmelka. Lawson Crouse scored shortly after the midway point of the second period to put the Mammoth back on top, 2-1. Dorofeyev added his second tally of the night with 4:23 left in the frame to bring the Golden Knights even once again. After Vegas won an offensive-zone draw, Shea Theodore corralled the puck, drove to the net and dropped a backhand feed off to Dorofeyev who snapped it upstairs from in tight. The Golden Knights took their first lead of the game less than two minutes later when Theodore took a pass from Mark Stone at the blue line and lit the lamp on a wrist shot to make it 3-2. Dylan Guenther tied it at three for the Mammoth when he scored on the rush at 5:54 of the third period, and Utah took control again with 7:18 remaining as Michael Carcone converted. Dorofeyev completed the hat trick with less than a minute to go in the contest as he gathered a rebound in front of the net and buried it to knot it up at four and send the game into overtime. Neither team broke the deadlock in the first overtime, forcing a second extra frame. Brett Howden scored the shorthanded overtime winner 5:28 into the second overtime after he forced Utah into a defensive-zone turnover and beat Vejmelka far corner to power Vegas to the 5-4 win. Carter Hart stopped 34-of-38 shots he faced, including all 12 in both overtimes.
TOP PERFORMERS
Brett Howden: Howden potted his third overtime game winner of his career, the most in Golden Knights history and he is the only player with multiple in that category.
Shea Theodore: Theodore registered a goal and an assist, and netted his 10th go-ahead marker in the playoffs, the most among all active defensemen.
Pavel Dorofeyev: Dorofeyev recorded his first career playoff hat trick, giving him four goals in his last two games, including the game-tying goal in the final minute of regulation.
Jack Eichel: Eichel (2A) added two helpers, becoming Vegas’ franchise leader in multi-assist playoff games with 11 and moving into a tie for the second most assists in postseason history for the Golden Knights with 40.
Carter Hart: Hart turned aside 34 of the 38 shots he faced, including all 12 over the two overtimes to earn his third win of the series.
SERIES AT A GLANCE
All times PST
Game 1: Vegas Golden Knights 4, Utah Mammoth 2 | HIGHLIGHTS
Game 2: Utah Mammoth 3, Vegas Golden Knights 2 | HIGHLIGHTS
Game 3: Utah Mammoth 4, Vegas Golden Knights 2 | HIGHLIGHTS
Game 4: Vegas Golden Knights 5, Utah Mammoth 4, OT | HIGHLIGHTS
Game 5: Vegas Golden Knights 5, Utah Mammoth 4, 2OT | HIGHLIGHTS
Game 6: Friday, May 1 – 7 p.m. PT | Delta Center
Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, May 3 – Time TBD | T-Mobile Arena | BUY TICKETS
VGK STATS OF THE KNIGHT
Pavel Dorofeyev is just the fourth player in NHL history to score three game-tying goals in the same game.
Brett Howden scored the overtime Game 5 winner in the First Round on April 29, 2025 (vs. Minnesota) and repeated the feat on April 29, 2026 (vs. Utah).
Mark Stone established a new mark for postseason points in Vegas history with 76 since joining the Golden Knights.
Jack Eichel became the eighth fastest player to reach 40 assists in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the fourth fastest American-born skater in NHL history to reach 50 career points (11G, 40A) in his 45 career postseason games.
ATTENDANCE: 18,033
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 and Mammoth head back to Utah for Game 6 of the opening series on Friday at 7 p.m. PT at Delta Center. Catch all the action on The Spot-Vegas 34 in Las Vegas, ESPN nationally, or listen on FOX Sports Las Vegas 94.7/1340 and Deportes Vegas 1460.
