The Vegas Golden Knights extended their Pacific Division lead to three points after defeating the Minnesota Wild in a shootout 4-3 on Tuesday night, improving their record to 48-22-7.
This was the second half of back-to-back matchups between these two teams, with the Golden Knights taking a 4-1 win on Saturday at home. They have won all three games against the Wild this season and have outscored them 13-4 in those games.
The Wild are 16-3-6 in their last 25 games and are now tied with the Dallas Stars with 98 points for the Central Division lead despite losing this game. They also clinched a playoff spot after earning a point, making it their fourth consecutive playoff appearance including the loss in the qualifying round in the 2020 Playoff Bubble.
They’ve also been able to put together a large portion of this run without star forward Kirill Kaprizov, who has missed the last 13 games with a lower-body injury. The real stars over the past six weeks have been the goaltending tandem of Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson, who have put together a combined .935 save percentage (SV%) and 2.06 goals- against average (GAA) since Feb. 13.
With Adin Hill and Logan Thompson still injured, Bruce Cassidy turned to Laurent Brossoit to start once again after allowing just one goal on 30 shots against the Wild on Saturday. With the playoffs fast approaching, Brossoit is emerging as the best available option to be named as the starter for the Golden Knights in the first round. Through his eight games played this season, he’s put together a 3-0-3 record with a .920 SV% and a 2.44 GAA.
Reilly Smith made his return to the lineup after missing four games with a lower-body injury, and picked up an assist on Pavel Dorofeyev’s first goal to tie it 2-2. Smith is fourth on the Golden Knights in scoring with 52 points in 72 games and his presence made their forward group feel significantly deeper throughout the game.
Pavel Dorofeyev’s Heroic Performance
With Chandler Stephenson out of the lineup for this game with an illness, rookie winger Pavel Dorofeyev was brought back into the lineup and played alongside William Karlsson and Reilly Smith. He finished with two goals on just two shots in 16:10 of ice time, along with a beautiful goal in the shootout that sent Gustavsson flying out of his crease.
Dorofeyev led the American Hockey League (AHL)-affiliated Henderson Silver Knights in scoring last season with 27 goals and 52 points in 62 games but has had a drop off in production this season, putting up just 17 points through the 32 games he played before getting called up in March. He had a short three-game stint with the Golden Knights in December where he failed to record a point before being re-assigned to the AHL, but has since found new life in the NHL.
After Dorofeyev tied the game 2-2 in the second period, the Golden Knights gave up the lead less than three minutes later on a pretty passing play between Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek. With over 20 minutes played with no scoring and a missed power play opportunity, Dorofeyev was able to get loose in the slot and tie the game yet again in the dying seconds of the third period to send the Golden Knights to overtime.
The 22-year-old has now scored seven goals and recorded nine points in his 13 games played with the Golden Knights this season, and has proved with this performance that he deserves a regular spot in this lineup. He plays with a high level of confidence and has been able to fit perfectly as a middle-six scoring threat that the Golden Knights will need as an option in the postseason.
What’s become more impressive with each game Dorofeyev has played is how he’s showcased his ability to score from all areas of the ice, with his first three goals of the season coming directly in front of the net, and his quick release from distance being put on display on both of his goals in this game.
Every team that has a deep playoff run always has a player that may fly under the radar heading into the postseason, but ends up being a major factor in the outcome of each game. In his limited time with the Golden Knights, Dorofeyev has shown he can potentially be that guy, and they have to ride the hot hand until he proves otherwise.
Final Thoughts
The Golden Knights recorded their league-leading 11th third-period comeback win this season, which goes to show just how far their game has come since their slump at the midway point of the season. They continue to find ways to win when things just don’t seem to be going their way, which is just another aspect of their game that seems to be coming together at the perfect time.
The Golden Knights will continue their busy week by finishing off their short road trip against the Nashville Predators tonight, and head home to prepare for a huge matchup against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
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