The Golden Knights’ season isn’t over yet.
Vegas staved off elimination Friday night at T-Mobile Arena, beating the Dallas Stars 2-0 to tie the teams' first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series at 3-3. Game 7 is set for 4:30 p.m. Sunday in Dallas.
Defenseman Noah Hanifin was the hero, just as he’s been to an extent in all three of the Golden Knights’ postseason wins. But it was a different level this time, as Hanifin broke a 50-minute collective scoreless drought when he used a screen by Keegan Kolesar to wrist a shot past Stars goalie Jake Oettinger.
The Stars managed a few chances of their own in the aftermath, but Vegas goalie Adin Hill preserved his shutout. Hill, who controversially came into the lineup two games ago for Logan Thompson, had 23 saves.
Oettinger managed 28 saves but was under attack even more than that number indicates. Vegas had more offensive-zone time than in any other game of the series with both Tomas Hertl and Nic Roy noting Game 6 was the team’s best all-around game of the postseason during intermission on the official radio broadcast.
And that was before Vegas scored.
Mark Stone added an empty-netter in the closing seconds to seal the victory.
Hanifin has made a strong case as the Golden Knights’ most valuable player of the series with an opening-game assist on a shot that Stone deflected in followed by a game-winning goal in Game 2. Now, he has the crown jewel of the series so far — the rope that broke the Game 6 deadlock.
The winner of Sunday’s final game between Dallas and Vegas will head straight to Colorado to start a Western Conference semifinal series with the Avalanche as soon as Tuesday, but likely not until Wednesday.
Check back later for full coverage of Game 6 between the Golden Knights and Stars. Read below for live updates from throughout the game.
Fifty minutes into Game 6 of the first-round playoff series between the Golden Knights and Stars, there’s finally been a goal.
And it belongs to the home team.
Vegas defenseman Noah Hanifin beat Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger with a wrister reminiscent of his game-winning score from Game 2 to put the Golden Knights up 1-0. The goal was unassisted, as Hanifin pounced on a left puck and played on a screen off Keegan Kolesar.
The Golden Knights now have 10 minutes to maintain their lead and force a Game 7 on Sunday in Dallas.
Still no score after the second period
The game really opened in the second period — and neither the Golden Knights nor the Stars still have anything to show for it.
It’s 0-0 going into the second intermission despite a mad exchange of rushes from both teams in the final five minutes. Both the Golden Knights and Stars got pucks past their opposing goalie, but they were somehow first kept out of the net.
First, Jonathan Marchessault found the post on a shot from the faceoff circle at the end of the power-play. Going back the other way, Roope Hintz flipped a puck past Hill but Mark Stone reached it right before it crossed into the net to save a goal.
The Golden Knights then killed their first penalty of the night with the majority of the sold-out crowd at T-Mobile Arena on their feet. They might want to rest up during the intermission because the third period is bound to provide just as much as suspense with the Golden Knights fighting for their playoff lives.
First period goes scoreless
If goals were awarded for scoring chances, Vegas would already be pulling away from Dallas through one period in Game 6 of the teams’ first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series.
Unfortunately for Golden Knights’ fans, that’s not the case and the score sits at 0-0 despite Vegas having arguably its best period of the playoffs so far. Ivan Barbashev, Nic Roy and Mark Stone all had open nets in front of them early in the game but couldn’t get the puck in the net.
And that doesn’t even count a Keegan Kolesar slap shot off the post or several more opportunities where the Golden Knights sailed shots wide of the crease.
Vegas had 25 shot attempts to Dallas’ 12 — though the shots on goal margin was only 12-7 in the home team’s favor — but the Stars weathered the storm. If the Golden Knights keep at this pace, it would seem likely they get one through and take control earlier rather than later.
But will that be possible?
Pregame
The Vegas Golden Knights’ season is on the line in Game 6 against the Dallas Stars.
After the Golden Knights took a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series, the Stars have since won three straight games. That means Vegas faces elimination at 7 p.m. tonight at T-Mobile Arena.
The Golden Knights are still searching for their first home victory of the postseason, and now it will need to be a season-saving one.
“At the end of day, it’s all about the win,” forward Jonathan Marchessault said after Friday’s morning skate. “You’ve got to put the logo in front of you and that's the most important.
“We’ve got to battle for fans at home, give them the win and see what it brings us.”
Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy’s line-mixing will continue as he’s bumped Ivan Barbashev up from the fourth to the second line. Barbashev will now skate with Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson, with Pavel Dorofeyev expected to be a healthy scratch for the fifth time in the series.
William Karlsson will once again center a third line with Brett Howden and Michael Amadio while Keegan Kolesar returns to the fourth line with William Carrier and Nic Roy.
The first line of Marchessault, Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertl remains unchanged for the second straight game.
Adin Hill will start in net over Logan Thompson. This is Hill’s second straight start after Thompson started the first four games of the series.
Cassidy re-emphasized that the plan was always to play both goaltenders.
“There’s been a lot of moving around and we’re just trying to find the best fit for everybody,” Cassidy said. “In game, we’ll move it if it doesn’t work…At the end of the day, play your game.”
With a lot on the line, the Golden Knights are looking to play off the atmosphere at T-Mobile Arena and force a Game 7 on Sunday in Dallas to keep their Stanley Cup repeat hopes alive.
“I think it’s good for us to get revved up at home,” defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. “We certainly enjoy playing here. I think every team tries to use the home ice to their advantage and we’re no different. This is a great place to play.”
TV: Scripps Sports locally (Channel 34 on Cox, DirecTV and antenna); TNT nationally
Radio: Fox Sports 1340 AM and 98.9 FM
Betting line: Stars -110 (i.e. risking $110 to win $100), Golden Knights +100 (i.e. risking $100 to win $100); over/under: 5.5 (-120/+100)
Golden Knights’ projected lines and pairs
Tomas Hertl – Jack Eichel – Jonathan Marchessault
Ivan Barbashev – Chandler Stephenson – Mark Stone
Brett Howden – William Karlsson – Michael Amadio
Keegan Kolesar – Nicolas Roy – William Carrier
Alex Pietrangelo – Alec Martinez
Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin – Zach Whitecloud
Adin Hill
[email protected] / 702-259-8814 / @jackgwilliams
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