The Anaheim Ducks suffered a 3-2 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series on Tuesday. Pavel Dorofeyev scored the game-winning goal 4:10 into overtime, capping off a back-and-forth contest that saw both teams exchange leads. The Golden Knights now lead the best-of-seven series 3-2, setting up a decisive Game 6 in Anaheim on Thursday.
Key Moments:
- First Period: Beckett Sennecke and Dorofeyev traded power-play goals, with Sennecke giving the Ducks an early lead before Dorofeyev tied the game.
- Third Period: Tomas Hertl and Olen Zellweger scored for Vegas and Anaheim, respectively, with Zellweger’s goal sending the game to overtime.
- Goaltending: Ducks’ Lukas Dostal made several critical saves, including a breakaway stop on Mitch Marner, but Vegas capitalized on a rebound opportunity in overtime.
Series Context: The Ducks, led by coach Joel Quenneville, have defied expectations this postseason, defeating the Oilers in the first round. Vegas, meanwhile, has relied on a balanced attack and strong goaltending to maintain their playoff dominance since their 2017 expansion debut.
Injury Impact: Anaheim lost forward Ryan Poehling after a vicious hit from Brayden McNabb, who was assessed a five-minute interference penalty and game misconduct. The Ducks will need to regroup for Game 6, where they aim to force a Game 7.