Joe Pavelski became the oldest player in NHL history to score an overtime goal in an elimination game when he made it 3-2 for his Dallas Stars 3:18 into the fourth period in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The goal, which was Pavelski’s ninth of this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs and came in a numerical advantage, means the Stars keep the series alive by cutting to 3-1 in games.
[De senaste nyheterna från serien mellan Golden Knights-Stars]
The Stars, who played without the suspended team captain Jamie Benngot two goals in regular time from Jason Robertsonas well as 37 saves on 39 shots (94.9 percent) from the goalkeeper Jake Oettinger.
In Benn’s absence, the 26-year-old got the forward Fredrik Olofsson the chance to play in the Stars. The Swede logged a total of 10:05 in ice time and had five shots on goal in the game.
The Vegas Golden Knights’ goal was scored by William Karlsson – the Swede’s eighth complete hit in the playoffs – as well as by Jonathan Marchessault.
Karlsson opened the scoring when he angled in a shot pass from Reilly Smith already after 4:17 of the first period. The visitors then maintained their lead until 15:42 into the period when Robertson sent in the equalizer in numerical superiority. Like Smith earlier in the period, the Stars sent back Miro Heiskanen into a shot pass towards the goal, whereupon Robertson first controlled the puck and then volleyed it in the air twice before it bounced behind Adin Hill in the Golden Knights coffers. The period ended 1-1.
The second period was then 10:23 old when Marchessault once again gave the visitors the lead, this after the forward pushed the puck into the far post as a result of a well-balanced pass through the castle from the back Brayden McNabb. With 2:39 left to play in the middle period, Robertson was again in front and equalized. Star’s back Esa Lindell shot a shot that missed the target, but took a perfect bounce off the rim behind the goal whereupon Robertson was able to dive to the ice and put in a backhand.
The third period remained scoreless, despite a strong onslaught from the Golden Knights who won the shootout 14-8. But Oettinger, who had by far his best game of the series and bounced back big after being substituted early in Game 3, nailed it again and took the game to overtime.
Once there, it was Pavelski who stayed ahead and made sure to keep the Stars’ dream of the Stanley Cup alive.
The series now returns to Nevada where match 5 is played in T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas on the night of Sunday, Swedish time, starting at 02.00 (Viaplay)
