The Golden Knights’ offense continues to keep them alive and with another thrilling win, they’re on the brink of eliminating the Utah Mammoth from the opening round of the playoffs.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored the game-tying goal with 53 seconds left in regulation to complete a hat trick, Brett Howden scored the game-winner 5:28 into the second overtime, and the Golden Knights won 5-4 to take a commanding 3-2 series lead over the Mammoth.
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Vegas can wrap things up and move into the Western Conference semifinals with a win Friday night in Salt Lake City.
Shea Theodore also scored for the Knights, while goaltender Carter made 34 saves, including 10 in the first overtime.
Theodore’s goal late in the second period gave the Knights a 3-2 lead, but Utah scored two within the first 12:42 of the third period to take a 4-3 lead.
Jack Eichel had two assists, while a total of nine Knights registered at least one point in the game.
It’s easy to say Dorofeyev’s goal with 53 seconds left was the key moment, but that goal doesn’t happen if Game 4 hero Theodore doesn’t save the puck from leaving the zone with 58.2 seconds after his former teammate Nate Schmidt, now with the Mammoth, sent the puck around the boards from behind the net. Theodore then fed Eichel, who one-timed a shot to create the rebound for the game-tying goal. Theodore’s glove save was the key moment.
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In NHL history, per OptaSTATS, there have been 29 instances of a team trailing in the third period in each of the first five games of a playoff series.
Of those 29 teams, 28 were behind in the series or had already lost the series after five games.
The lone exception is this year’s Golden Knights.
Dorofeyev’s hat trick takes the spotlight, obviously, as he turned the fourth of his career and second of this season. Last year’s goal leader for the Knights came through with his biggest performance at the right time. Dorofeyev’s first two goals tied the score – in the first at 1-1 and in the second at 2-2. After the Mammoth took a 4-3 lead in the third, he positioned himself perfectly for the game-tying goal with 53 seconds left to send the game to overtime.
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The Golden Knights will look to close out their series in Salt Lake City in Game 6 on Friday night.
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) was named Third Star of the Game after the Golden Knights defeated the Utah Mammoth 5-4 in the second overtime period of game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena.
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