By NHL Public Relations

May 27, 2023

T-Mobile Arena is set to play host to an all-important Game 5 in the Western Conference Final when the Stars and Golden Knights take to the ice.

Vegas eyes its second Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history while Dallas looks to stave off elimination once again and force a Game 6 back at American Airlines Center.

A tightly-contested victory in Game 4 helped Dallas avert elimination. The Stars now look to force Game 6 to keep their championship aspirations alive in the Conference Finals, something the franchise has already done in their history. 

The Golden Knights at home have an opportunity to close out the Western Conference Final and join rare company in NHL history with their second Stanley Cup Final appearance within their first six seasons.

Three of four games in the Western Conference Final – and five games overall in the Conference Finals – have required more than 60 minutes of play, with the Golden Knights skating to overtime victories in Games 1 and 2 while the Stars did so to stave off elimination in Game 4.

Notes:

* Joe Pavelski (9-4—13 in 12 GP) is one goal away from joining Roope Hintz (10-14—24 in 17 GP) as the second Stars player with 10 or more goals this postseason. The last time Dallas had multiple players with as many tallies in a single playoff year was 2000: Brett Hull (11 G in 23 GP) and Mike Modano (10 G in 23 GP).

* The Golden Knights hold a 5-3 record at home in potential series-clinching game, which trails only the Lightning (9-3) for the most such wins since Vegas’ inaugural season in 2017-18.

* Alex Pietrangelo (3-15—18 in 20 GP) enters play two points shy of becoming the second active defenseman to record 20-plus points in potential series-clinching games – he can join Kris Letang (7-13—20 in 34 GP).

* With a goal tonight, William Karlsson (3-0—3 in 3 GP) can become the first active player and eighth all-time to score in each of his team’s first four potential series-clinching games in a single playoff year – a feat only Martin Gelinas (4 GP in 2004) and Tomas Holmstrom (4 GP in 2002) have achieved in the past 30 years. Of note, Wayne Gretzky had a three-game streak entering the suspended contest in the 1988 Stanley Cup Final but was held to just two assists before the power failure at 16:37 of the second period – he tallied the championship-clinching goal two days later as the Oilers swept the Bruins.

Source: NHL Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Playoffs Edition – May 27, 2023, #NHLStats: Live Updates – May 27, 2023 Edition

By Taylor Baird / NHL.com Independent Correspondent

May 25, 2023

DALLAS — Joe Pavelski scored a power-play goal at 3:18 of overtime, and the Dallas Stars extended the Western Conference Final with a 3-2 win against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 at American Airlines Center on Thursday.

Pavelski won it with a one-timer from the left face-off circle after Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb was penalized for high-sticking at 2:28.

“It’s such a fine line this time of year. You’re going good and all of a sudden you look and you’re in a 3-0 hole,” Pavelski said. “[We had a] couple of overtime losses and played some good hockey along the way. You just have to keep putting your game out there and having the belief that you can buy more time and earn more time.

“So, we’ll see where this goes. We’re excited about tonight and we’ll get some rest. We’ll look to do it again and keep trying to put a little doubt in their minds.”

Game 5 of the best-of-7 series will be in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Jason Robertson scored twice, Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen each had two assists, and Jake Oettinger made 37 saves for the Stars, the No. 2 seed from the Central Division.

Oettinger was pulled after giving up three goals on five shots in the first 7:10 of a 4-0 loss in Game 3.

“Great response. Jake’s been that guy all year. I’ve said that,” Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said. “Every time our team’s stumbled, every time he’s had a stumble, his response has been exactly like it was tonight. I had no doubt that’s what we were going to get. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet. I think he’s starting to heat up here too.”

William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault scored, and Adin Hill made 39 saves for the Golden Knights, the top seed from the West.

“We weren’t fast early on. I don’t think we managed pucks well below the goal line,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Now, by the time you get it out, you’re tired. When you’re changing, and you’re not in your structure, they’re coming through [the dangerous areas]. I think there was a little bit of that going on early, where we allowed them through there and they were executing. I just thought today below the goal line our team didn’t execute like they normally do on the breakout.”

The Golden Knights took a 1-0 lead at 4:17 of the first period when Reilly Smith‘s shot from just inside the right circle was tipped in front by Karlsson.

Robertson tied it 1-1 on a power play at 15:42. Heiskanen’s pass to Robertson at the right of the net was tipped up and over Hill’s head, and Robertson batted the puck out of the air and into the open net.

“I think we were playing a lot faster, a lot quicker,” Robertson said. “More predictable, clean on our breakouts, supporting the puck. Holding onto pucks more in the offensive zone, getting some rotations, causing some scrambles, and getting a lot of opportunities.”

Dallas played without captain Jamie Benn, who was serving the first of a two-game suspension for cross-checking Vegas forward Mark Stone in Game 3.

“They played well, I thought, defensively. I thought they were better today,” Marchessault said. “We’re trying to play the right way, but I think their desperation was a little higher than ours. At that time of year, it’s not about X’s and O’s, it’s about who wants it more. I thought they wanted it more than us tonight.”

NOTES: Pavelski scored his fourth career overtime goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, tying Nicklas Backstrom and Patrice Bergeron for the second most among active players behind Patrick Kane and Corey Perry (five each). It was Pavelski’s 73rd playoff goal to pass Alex Ovechkin for the most among active players. … At 38 years, 318 days, Pavelski became the oldest player to score an overtime goal in an elimination game (Chris Kunitz, 37 years, 241 days, Pittsburgh Penguins, Game 7, 2017 Eastern Conference Final). … Robertson had 11 shots on goal. … Stars forward Fredrik Olofsson, playing his first game since April 6, had five shots in 10:04. … Karlsson’s eighth goal tied Marchessault (2018, 2023) and Alex Tuch (2020) for the most in a single playoff year in Golden Knights history. … Karlsson scored his sixth game-opening playoff goal, passing Marchessault and Shea Theodore for most in Vegas history.

Source: nhl.com