The Vegas Golden Knights are only six years old, but they’re already eyeing their second Stanley Cup Finals berth after Brett Howden scored from behind 1:35 into overtime on Friday for a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals opener.
Jamie Benn forced the extra time when he scored on a 6-on-5 with 1:59 left in regulation.
This was the third time in four meetings this season these teams went beyond regulation to determine the winner. Dallas won twice in the regular season in shootouts.
William Karlsson scored two goals for Vegas, giving him seven this postseason and extending his point streak to three games. Teddy Blueger also scored, Zach Whitecloud had two assists and Adin Hill stopped 33 shots.
Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson each had a goal and an assist for Stars. Hintz has 10 postseason goals and 12 assists, and has hit the back of the net in four of the past five games. Joe Pavelski recorded two assists, and Oettinger made 33 saves.
Game 2 is Sunday in Las Vegas.
Vegas’ Brett Howden scored from behind 1:35 into overtime on Friday for a 4-3 win over Dallas
Jamie Benn forced the extra time when he scored on a 6-on-5 with 1:59 left in regulation
The Stars struck first, taking advantage of a quirky bounce off the boards where the Zamboni enters. The puck ended up on Hintz’s stick, and he took a shot from the high slot that Robertson redirected for a 1-0 lead with 1:16 left in the first.
The Knights evened the score midway through the second period when Whitecloud sent a shot from the point off the boards behind the net to Karlsson.
Both teams had near-misses in the second. A shot from Vegas’ Alec Martinez somehow sat on the goal line behind Oettinger, and Dallas’ Tyler Sequin hit the post on a play off the rush.
Karlsson put the Knights up 2-1 early in the third before Hintz answered for the Stars at 4:10 of the period. Blueger took advantage of a scrum in the crease to score at 9:20 of the third before Benn tied it up in the final two minutes.