In Las Vegas, Brett Howden scored 95 seconds into extra time on Friday night to give the Golden Knights a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. 
“I just tried throwing it in there. Got lucky that it went in,” Howden said. “I think [Stars goalie Jake] Oettinger put it in himself. Just tried to throw it in there and see what would happen.”
Howden scored from below the goal lone, behind the Dallas cage, his shot found a way in off the goalie’s pads.
“[Kolesar] did all the work,” Blueger said. “He took his guy wide and took it to the net. The puck was just sitting there for me. He made a nice play to me.”
Adin Hill made 33 saves in the Vegas win.
Game 2 is set for Sunday in on The Strip.
“Everyone has a different formula,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Can’t always be the stars or the guys that you would expect. That’s what’s been good about our team. Different people step up in key moments.”
Dallas’ Jamie Benn forced overtime when he scored to tie the game, 3-3, two minutes left on the regulation clock.
“I didn’t like our start. They were more ready to play than we were. Probably could’ve anticipated it,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “They were better than us. I thought we battled back in the game. Again, they were better in more areas than us most of the night, so probably the right result and we’ve got to up our level.”
Jason Robertson scored at 18:44 of the opening stanza for a 1-0 lead to the Stars.
“I knew eventually something was going to happen,” Robertson said. “I play on too good of a line not to get opportunities for the puck to finally go in. I’m sure it’s a good relief for my linemates, me, everyone. I just want to look to build off that.”
William Karlsson scored the first of his double on the night, midway through the middle frame to get the Golden Knights even at 1-1 with Dallas.
Karlsson scored 79 seconds into the third period to give Vegas a 2-1 lead.
“I kind of got lucky. I’m sure ‘Whitey’ was trying to put that on net,” Karlsson said. “I just wanted to be first for the possibility of a rebound.”
Roope Hintz knotted the game, 2-2, at 4:01 of the third.
“We respond the right way,” Robertson said. “The biggest thing is we have a lot of leaders in this locker room, a lot of veterans who understand what we can do better, what we did wrong from the previous game and try to improve that. That’s attributed to the coaches and staff having us prepared, and the leaders in this room.”
At 9:20 of the third, Vegas’ Teddy Blueger scored off a loose puck above the crease after Keegan Kolesar had taken puck to the net on a sharp turn form the left boards.
Use CodePHN15
Jake Oettinger made 33 saves in the Dallas loss.
You must be logged in to post a comment.