Cooper Krigbaum
The Vegas Golden Knights have punched their ticket to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Vegas secured its postseason berth with a 3-2 overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche, moving into first place in the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights now sit one point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers and two points clear of the Anaheim Ducks.
Colorado opened the scoring on the power play as defenseman Devon Toews tallied his third goal of the season. With Cale Makar sidelined due to injury, Toews stepped into an increased role and delivered early. Gabriel Landeskog provided a screen in front of goaltender Carter Hart.
Vegas responded quickly. Mark Stone deflected the puck to himself before backhanding it past Mackenzie Blackwood to even the score at 1-1.
Later in the period, Pavel Dorofeyev gave Vegas the lead, finishing a setup from Ivan Barbashev. With traffic in front from Brett Howden, Blackwood never picked up the shot. The goal marked Dorofeyev’s 36th of the season, giving him back-to-back 35-goal campaigns.
The Avalanche answered to tie the game at 2-2. Nick Blankenburg scored his first goal with Colorado since being acquired at the trade deadline, and his seventh of the season with former Golden Knights forward Nicolas Roy picking up an assist.
The third period featured end-to-end action, with both teams generating quality chances but unable to break through. The Golden Knights tightened defensively late, limiting high-danger looks and getting key stops from Hart to force overtime.
In the extra frame, Jack Eichel delivered the winner, scoring his 26th goal of the season to lift the Golden Knights past the NHL’s top team. Eichel’s goal capped off a strong night for the Golden Knights’ top line, which consistently created pressure in the offensive zone.
With the win, the Golden Knights moved back into first place in the Pacific Division. If the playoffs began today, the Golden Knights would face the first wild-card team, the Utah Mammoth.
The Golden Knights will return home to close out the regular season with two games at T-Mobile Arena. The Golden Knights host the Winnipeg Jets on Monday, April 13, before finishing the regular season against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, April 15.
A strong finish could secure the division title and home-ice advantage as the Golden Knights look to carry momentum into the postseason.
