Brett Howden scored in overtime to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-2 series lead over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. The goal came 4:05 into overtime after a two-man advantage set up by Tanner Pearson. "It’s always the hardest to finish the series off, right?” Pearson said. The next game is on Thursday in St. Paul, Minnesota, as mentioned by NHL.
Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson was replaced by Marc-Andre Fleury after the second period due to illness, but the Wild continued to apply pressure. A late goal by the Wild was reversed for offside after a Vegas challenge, keeping the game's outcome uncertain. "It saved our (butt)," said Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy, as reported by AP News.
In the game, both teams exchanged goals early. William Karlsson scored a short-handed goal, and Kirill Kaprizov responded with a power-play goal. Mark Stone then gave Vegas the lead before Matt Boldy tied it up in the third period. In overtime, Howden scored the game-winner, his third goal of the series. "They play tight defensively, so for them to kind of have a quick breakdown like that, and [Pearson] to make a great play, on his backhand, too," Howden told NHL.
The Golden Knights have shown resilience in overtime this series, winning the previous game in extra time. As they prepare for Game 6, the history they carry, of being a Cup holder in 2023, and the experience gained from playing their 100th playoff game could be their edge against a Wild team searching for their first series victory since 2015, according to AP News.
