Knights edge Ducks in overtime to take series lead
Pavel Dorofeyev and Tomas Hertl break scoring slumps as Golden Knights secure 3-2 series advantage over Anaheim.
The Vegas Golden Knights have advanced to the brink of the Western Conference final, securing a 3-2 overtime victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 5 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs second round. The win at T-Mobile Arena gives Vegas a 3-2 series lead, with Game 6 scheduled for Thursday at the Honda Center.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored the decisive goal 4:10 into overtime, lifting the home team within striking distance of the conference championship for the first time since their Stanley Cup triumph in 2023. Dorofeyev, who led the Knights with 37 goals during the regular season, had started the playoffs slowly against Utah but now has seven goals in the postseason. His overtime winner came after he lodged himself in front of the net and knocked home the rebound of a Jack Eichel shot attempt before the Ducks could clear the puck.
The game was defined by late momentum shifts and critical individual performances. Dorofeyev opened the scoring in the first period with a power-play goal, resulting from him chasing down a puck in the Anaheim zone and snapping a wrist shot past goaltender Lukas Dostal. He also blocked a shot in the second period, hobbling off the ice before returning to play. His willingness to block shots was particularly notable in the absence of Brayden McNabb, who received a game misconduct for an interference major that also resulted in Ryan Poehling being ejected.
Tomas Hertl contributed a goal and an assist, ending a scoring drought that had lasted since March 4. Hertl’s second-period goal broke a 29-game slump, and he added the primary assist on Dorofeyev’s first-period power-play score. In the third period, Hertl scored a rebound goal that appeared to seal the win before Anaheim’s Olen Zellweger tied the game. Head coach John Tortorella moved Colton Sissons up to Hertl’s line along with Brandon Saad, a line that was on the ice for Zellweger’s tying goal.
Despite the loss, Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal made 29 saves, and Joel Quenneville noted that Vegas had 32 shots in Game 5. The Golden Knights remain without Mark Stone, who contributed three goals and seven points in the postseason prior to his injury in Game 3. With Dorofeyev and Hertl back contributing offensively, Vegas has regained balance in its attack as it looks to close out the series.
