Golden Knights return home for Game 5 against Wild hungry for more

LAS VEGAS -- The Vegas Golden Knights will look to continue trending in the right direction in Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round against the Minnesota Wild at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday (9:30 p.m. ET; FDSNNO, SCRIPPS, ESPN, SNE, SN360, TVAS) after they were challenged by coach Bruce Cassidy to get "hungry" and "competitive."

A 4-3 overtime victory in Game 4 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Saturday tied the best-of-7 series 2-2. Cassidy's message came after a 5-2 loss in Game 2 that preceded another 5-2 loss in Game 3.

"We got more engaged, physical, determined, competitive, hungry, whatever words you want to use," Cassidy said Sunday. "We're getting better, better team in terms of generating, and our power play (2-for-5) did come through for us."

And so did the bounces Vegas wasn't getting at the start of the series.

Tomas Hertl gave the Golden Knights a 3-2 lead at 10:03 of the third period after getting tangled with Minnesota forward Ryan Hartman in front of the net. Hertl was wrestled to the ground, and Mark Stone's wrist shot hit his leg and rolled past Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson.

Ivan Barbashev won it at 17:26 of overtime by finding a loose puck that deflected off teammate Nicolas Roy and shoveling in a backhand. The goal, which came after Jared Spurgeon tied it 3-3 at 10:57 of the third. allowed the Golden Knights to take back home-ice advantage.

It was an important win for Vegas. In the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, 316 of 348 teams (90.8 percent) have gone on to advance after holding a 3-1 lead. On the other hand, there have been 590 playoff series in the NHL tied at 2-2, with each team winning 295.

The Wild, though, have lost two straight postseason series (2022, 2023) when leading 2-1. During the regular season, they were the only team in the League not to blow a lead when leading after two periods (29-0-0).

They had a 2-1 lead going into third period of Game 4.

"This is a pivotal group for our game to turn it around, kind of just get rewarded for the play that we felt like we were having," Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore said Saturday. "This is a big game for us and it's good to go home.

"We were on our toes the whole night. It seemed like we didn't really fall back, and I didn't think we really gave up much. We're looking to continue that for Game 5."

The Golden Knights made changes for Game 4, inserting forward Tanner Pearson for Victor Olofsson.

"Both are good players," Cassidy said. "I've liked 'Ole's' game for what he brings. He had some looks. 'Pierce's' a little more straight line. He'd been waiting his turn and working hard. He's just a different player, that was it."

Then in the third, William Karlsson and Jack Eichel were put on a line with Pavel Dorofeyev, Stone moved with Brett Howden and Hertl, and Barbashev played with Roy and Reilly Smith.

This left Pearson, Keegan Kolesar and Brandon Saad on the bench for most of the final 10 minutes of the third because nobody could play center among the three.

"In the heat of the moment, you're trying to win a game, especially down a goal in the third," Cassidy said. "So, all bets are off on who's going to get an opportunity to get to their game."

Cassidy wouldn't say if he would stick with the lines that ended Game 4 but added that he and the coaching staff will watch the video before talking with the players Monday.

"It's about winning one game," he said. "We started the series with our lines, and I've said this many times, I feel like any line can play against them. If we have to go away from that, well, we'll go away from it."