Knights finish off Ducks in 6 to make West finals
Key takeaways
- Marner played a role in all three of Vegas' first-period goals while raising his NHL-leading playoff point total to 18, and Game 5 overtime goal-scorer Dorofeyev put the game away with a huge third period.
- Vegas will face an exponentially bigger challenge in the Colorado Avalanche, who won the Presidents' Trophy and then improved to 8-1 in the postseason on Wednesday by ousting Minnesota in five games.
- Lukas Dostal stopped 16 shots for Anaheim, which couldn't overcome another poor first period in Game 6, ending their encouraging first season under coach Joel Quenneville.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Mitch Marner scored a tremendous goal 62 seconds after the opening faceoff, Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice in the third period and the Vegas Golden Knights cruised into the Western Conference finals with a 5-1 victory over Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 of the second round Thursday night.
Brett Howden scored his third short-handed goal of the playoffs and Shea Theodore got a power-play goal during a 3-0 first period for the Golden Knights, who reached the third round of the NHL postseason for the first time since they won their lone Stanley Cup championship in 2023 -- and for the fifth time in this charmed expansion franchise's nine seasons of existence.
Marner played a role in all three of Vegas' first-period goals while raising his NHL-leading playoff point total to 18, and Game 5 overtime goal-scorer Dorofeyev put the game away with a huge third period. Carter Hart made 31 saves as the veteran-laden Golden Knights ended the upstart Ducks' first playoff appearance since 2018.