Minnesota Wild defenseman Jon Merrill (4) and goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) defend the net against Vegas Golden Knights left wing Tanner Pearson (70) during the second period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
LAS VEGAS — It appeared in the closing two minutes that the Vegas Golden Knights would be heading back to Minnesota on the brink of elimination.
But in a crazy sequence in which the Wild’s potential winning goal was at first upheld on video review and then overturned on a Vegas challenge, the Golden Knights had new life and forced overtime.
Brett Howden then scored 4:05 into the extra period Tuesday night to give the Golden Knights a 3-2 victory and put Vegas one game away from advancing out of the Western Conference first round.
“It saved our (butt),” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said of the offside challenge. “We’ve got a minute left in the game. I’m not saying we couldn’t have come back, but that’s tough, right?”
The Golden Knights take a 3-2 series lead back to St. Paul for Thursday night’s Game 6. Vegas, which had the second-best record in the Pacific Division this season and won the Stanley Cup in 2023, will try to advance to at least the second round for the fifth time in their eight-year history.
Minnesota will attempt to avoid another first-round series exit. The Wild’s last series victory occurred in 2015 when the Wild made the second round. They could already have wrapped up this series, but the Golden Knights have won back-to-back overtime games.
“The game was another 50-50 game,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “It’s the playoffs. Sometimes it goes well for you and sometimes it doesn’t, but we’ve got another one coming up, and there’s where our focus is.”
William Karlsson and Mark Stone also scored goals for the Golden Knights, and Jack Eichel had two assists. Eichel had just one assist in the first four games. Adin Hill made 20 saves.
Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy scored for the Wild and Joel Eriksson Ek had assists on both. Kaprizov has at least one point in all five games and nine for the series, and Boldy leads both teams with five goals this postseason. Filip Gustavsson recorded 23 saves on 25 shots before being replaced by former Golden Knight Marc-Andre Fleury to open the third period.
The Wild said Gustavsson had an illness. Fleury, who remains a fan favorite, made six saves, but didn’t face his first shot until 6:15 remained in the third period. This playoff appearance gave Fleury a goalies record 18 years competing in the playoffs, breaking a tie shared with Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur.
The Wild appeared on the verge of winning when Ryan Hartman put the puck past Hill with 1:15 left. Officials checked the replay to see if Hartman kicked in the puck, but after ruling it a good goal, the Golden Knights challenged that Gustav Nyquist was offside. Video review upheld the challenge, overturning the goal and keeping the game tied.
That set the game for Howden’s winner and third goal of this series, taking a Tanner Pearson pass from below the goal line and scoring from just inside the left circle.
“(Pearson) drawing two guys to him left me open,” Howden said. “They play tight defensively, so for them to kind of have a quick breakdown like that and (Pearson) to make a great play and on his backhand, too, just puts me alone in front there. I just tried to get it off quick.”
The teams traded special teams goals 13 seconds apart in the first period on the same power play. Eichel passed to Karlsson on a 2-on-1 breakaway for a shorthanded goal, and the Wild then answered when Mats Zuccarello connected with Kaprizov on a cross-ice pass to even the score.
Stone put the Golden Knights back in front with 6:36 left in the first period.
Minnesota had a great opportunity to again tie the game when Zuccarello skated out of the penalty box and was alone with Hill. But Zuccarello lost the puck, and the Golden Knights remained in front.
That’s the way the score stayed until Boldy scored in front of the net 3:31 into the third period to tie the game.
This was the Golden Knights’ 100th playoff game. Only the Edmonton Oilers played in that many in their first eight seasons.
Vegas has won 41 consecutive playoff games when scoring three or more goals.
*Associated Press
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