LAS VEGAS — The Golden Knights got third-period goals from Pavel Dorofeyev and Kaedan Korczak to erase a two-goal deficit, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks won 4-3 in overtime.
Anaheim (10-3-1) snapped a four-game skid against the Knights (7-3-4), who swept the series last season. With the win, the Ducks are three points ahead of Vegas and Seattle (7-3-4).
The surprising Ducks have now won six straight, a streak that has come against teams that had a combined record of 38-21-7.
Trailing 3-1 after two periods, Dorofeyev scored a power-play goal less than four minutes into the third when he gathered a loose puck after a faceoff in the right circle, skated to the slot and fired the puck past Anaheim goalie Petr Mrazek.
Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) on X
SCORE
O
FEYEV
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Korczak tied the game with a little more than five minutes left in the game when he fired from the exact same spot where Dorofeyev scored from, firing a laser past three defenders and Mrazek.
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BIG TIME KORCZY 🐲😮💨
Jacob Trouba scored the game-winner with 32 seconds left in overtime.
Brett Howden also scored for the Knights while Akira Schmid made 25 saves.
Leo Carlsson scored twice, and Frank Vatrano also scored for the Ducks. Mrazek finished with 36 saves.
Howden put Vegas on the board first when he took a beautiful pass from William Karlsson, who streaked down the right side and below the goal line before backhanding the puck back in front for the one-timer.
Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) on X
Howie’s third of the season gets us going 💪🍞
The Ducks tied the game when Olen Zellweger fired a shot from the point, and Vatrano was in the right spot to get a stick on the puck to beat Schmid.
After playing 5:03 over the entire first period, Karlsson did not return for the final two periods. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said after the game it was a lower-body injury, and would not speculate yet if Karlsson is day-to-day until hearing more on Sunday.
Carlsson’s two second-period goals gave Anaheim a 3-1 lead.
“I think our third period was encouraging,” Howden said. “They’re a good team, they’re playing well. But I think a lot of it is on us, too. It wasn’t our kind of hockey.”
KEY MOMENT: After squandering a power-play opportunity to start the third period, the Golden Knights got a second chance when Carlsson was called for high-sticking Jeremy Lauzon. At the time, Vegas was mired in a 2-for-24 skid with a man advantage, but was able to capitalize with Dorofeyev’s goal. The Knights are now 3 of 26 on the power play in the last eight games.
“We needed a power play goal, hadn’t gotten one in a while, gave us some life,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “And really thought we should have won the game. I’m not walking out of here tonight, gonna beat our guys up. Were there pockets of the game we weren’t enough? Of course. Certainly, a game we should have had the two points.”
KEY STAT: The Golden Knights opened the season tied for the league lead after outscoring teams 10-4 in the second period. Over their last eight games, though, they’ve been outscored 7-1 in the middle stanza.
“I don’t think we’re terrible in the second period,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I’ll have to look at it again. Obviously, we gave up goals, so you look at the results weren’t good.”
WHAT A KNIGHT: Defenseman Brayden McNabb had two blocked shots for the Knights, upping his league lead to 47 this season. McNabb is the franchise’s all-time blocked shots leader with 1,322 since the inaugural season, a tally that also leads all NHL skaters in the same stretch. McNabb has appeared in 274 consecutive games after appearing in all 82 games the previous three regular seasons. McNabb is on pace to become the first Vegas skater in franchise history to reach 600 games played with the organization (597).
UP NEXT: The Golden Knights continue their season-long six-game homestand on Monday against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
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