The Vegas Golden Knights hold a 3-1 series lead over the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference final and are one win away from the Stanley Cup final.
Vegas earned the top seed in the Western Conference with a strong regular season, needing only five games to eliminate the Winnipeg Jets in the first round. Against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in the second round, Vegas managed to limit one of the league’s most powerful offenses to five-on-five and took the series in six games.
Jack Eichel, in his first postseason appearance, has more than lived up to expectations. He leads the Golden Knights in goals (6), assists (8) and points (14). Eichel is an early contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy, and another great series against a stingy Stars defense will bring him one step closer to the award.
In their first round series against the Minnesota Wild, the Stars fell behind 2-1 before taking over and winning the last three games. In the last round, Dallas got everything it could from the Seattle Kraken, who took the series to seven games. A couple of shaky outings from Jake Oettinger gave the Kraken some life, but the All-Stars completely controlled the deciding Game 7.
Here’s how to keep up with the Western Conference Final schedule and results.
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Game 4: Stars 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT)
It looks like the third game of overtime was the charm for the stars. After falling in the overtime in Games 1 and 2, Dallas kept its season alive with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 4. Vegas still leads the series 3-1 and will host Game 5.
For now, though, Dallas fans can rejoice in their first win in the Western Conference finals. Joe Pavelski is the player to thank, as he scored the game-winner at 3:18 of overtime. Jason Robertson was the standout throughout the contest, as he scored two goals to keep Dallas’ offense afloat.
William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault accounted for both Vegas goals.
The Stars played without captain Jamie Benn and Evgenii Dadonov due to suspension and injury, respectively, and fought long enough to avoid elimination. Benn will remain suspended for Game 5, while Dadonov’s status is unclear.
Game 1: Golden Knights 4, Stars 3 (OT)
The Golden Knights took care of business in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, beating the visiting Stars 4-3 in overtime thanks to a two-goal performance from William Karlsson and a game-winner from Brett Howden.
Dallas opened the scoring via a Jason Robertson goal with just over a minute to go in the first period, but it was all Vegas from then on. Karlsson scored the next two goals of the game to give Vegas their first lead, and after Dallas’ Roope Hintz scored a level of play at 4:01 of the third, Teddy Blueger put it back for Vegas with an own goal in the 9:20 mark.
But just when it looked like Dallas was done, Jamie Benn scored a game-tying goal with less than two minutes remaining in regulation to send it into overtime. Overtime, however, was a quick affair as Howden scored the game-winner by pinning the puck off Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger at 1:35 into overtime. The Golden Knights are now 2-0 in overtime games this postseason, while the Stars are 0-3.
Las Vegas’ victory ruined the return of Stars coach Pete DeBoer, who was fired by the Golden Knights after coaching the team the past three seasons. DeBoer will be hoping for redemption in Game 2, as the series will stay in Las Vegas.
Game 2: Golden Knights 3, Stars 2 (OT)
The Golden Knights beat the Stars in overtime for the second straight game, this time winning 3-2 despite trailing for most of the third period. Jonathan Marchessault tied the game 2-2 at 17:38 of the third period; then Chandler Stephenson finished off the Stars with a game-winning goal just over a minute after overtime. The Golden Knights remain outstanding in overtime this postseason, as they are now 3-0 in such games, while the Stars are 0-4.
Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen calmed the crowd early by scoring a goal on a wrist shot less than three minutes into the game, but Vegas’ Mark Stone responded with a power play goal at 10:08 of the first period to even it 1-1. Then Dallas would take control, as Jason Robertson restored his team’s lead with an instant goal at 9:21 of the second period, while goalie Jake Oettinger was masterful in netting.
But with less than three minutes remaining in regulation, Marchessault scored the equalizing goal from a clever pass from Jack Eichel to tie the game in the eventual victory in overtime.
Stephenson, Marchessault and Stone each had a goal and an assist, while goalkeeper Adin Hill had a productive afternoon in the net with 26 saves.
Game 3: Gold Knights 4, Stars 0
Just at 7:20 of Game 3, the Dallas Stars had fallen behind 3-0 against the Vegas Golden Knights, lost captain Jamie Benn to game misconduct and sacked starting goaltender Jake Oettinger.
The Golden Knights then took a 4-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of the second period, and that score held until the final buzzer. The frustration in Dallas was visible on the ice and in the stands. Late in the second frame, Max Domi let his emotions get the better of him and took a total of 14 minutes on penalties.
As if following their team’s lead, fans reacted by throwing exorbitantly priced drinks and snacks onto the ice.
To make matters even worse for Dallas, Evgenii Dadonov left the game with an injury and didn’t return. His status for Game 4 is unknown, and that’s also the case for Benn, who may have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety for attempting to rearrange Stone’s teeth.
As embarrassing as a night for the stars was, the Gold Knights must be riding high. They now hold a 3-0 series lead, and a Game 4 victory will send them to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in fledgling franchise history.
*Game 5
- Date: Saturday May 27 | Time: 8 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: T-Mobile Arena — Las Vegas, NV
- TELEVISION: ABC | Live broadcast: fuboTV (try free)
*Game 6
- Date: Monday May 29 | Time: 8 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: American Airlines Center – Dallas, Texas
- TELEVISION: ESPN | Live broadcast: fuboTV (try free)
*Game 7
- Date: Wednesday May 31 | Time: 9 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: T-Mobile Arena — Las Vegas, NV
- TELEVISION: ESPN | Live broadcast: fuboTV (try free)
