By Taylor Baird / NHL.com Independent Correspondent

May 23, 2023

DALLAS — Adin Hill made 34 saves for the Vegas Golden Knights, who are one win away from the Stanley Cup Final after defeating the Dallas Stars 4-0 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final at American Airlines Center on Tuesday.

Vegas moved within one win of its second Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history (also 2018).

The Golden Knights would be the eighth franchise in League history to reach the Final multiple times within their first six NHL seasons, following the Oilers (3x), Blues (3x), Rangers (3x), Bruins (3x), original Ottawa Senators (3x), Montreal Maroons (2x) and Toronto Arenas/St. Patricks (2x).

Game 4 of the best-of-7 series will be here on Thursday.

Hill earned his fifth straight win and matched the franchise record for longest winning streak in the postseason. The others: Marc-Andre Fleury (3x) and Laurent Brossoit. 

Ivan Barbashev had a goal and two assists, and Nicolas Roy had two assists for the Golden Knights, who are the top seed from the West.

Jake Oettinger allowed three goals on five shots before being pulled 7:10 into the first period for the Stars, who are the No. 2 seed from the Central Division. Scott Wedgewood made 10 saves in relief.

Jonathan Marchessault gave Vegas a 1-0 lead at 1:11 of the first period. Jack Eichel gloved down the puck and sent a cross-ice pass to Marchessault, who shot into an open net from the left circle.

Marchessault has nine points (five goals, four assists) in his past five games.

Stars captain Jamie Benn was ejected 42 seconds later after he was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for cross-checking Mark Stone.

On the ensuing power play, Barbashev made it 2-0 at 5:57 when he took a pass from Roy on a 3-on-2 rush and scored off the left shoulder of Oettinger from the top of the left circle.

William Carrier pushed it to 3-0 at 7:10, roofing a backhand short side from the right face-off dot.

Alex Pietrangelo made it 4-0 at 8:28 of the second period with a shot through traffic from above the circles just as a power play expired.

Hill and Brossoit became the second set of teammates in NHL history to each have a five-game winning streak in a playoff year, following Phil Myre and Pete Peeters with the Flyers in 1980. 

Source: nhl.com, NHL Stats Resources