HIGHLIGHTS
- Jack Eichel scored 1:19 into overtime to clinch a playoff berth for Vegas with a 3-2 win over Colorado
- The Golden Knights have now made the playoffs eight times in nine seasons, the fourth franchise in NHL history to do so
- Watch the Eichel OT winner and full highlights below
Jack Eichel went coast-to-coast and buried a wrist shot past Mackenzie Blackwood 1:19 into overtime Saturday night, giving the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. The goal clinched Vegas a spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Watch Eichel’s OT winner below:
It’s the eighth time in nine seasons the Golden Knights have reached the postseason. That makes them just the fourth franchise in NHL history to qualify for the playoffs at least eight times in their first nine years of existence.
The win also moved Vegas one point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers for first place in the Pacific Division with two games remaining.
Colorado opened the scoring through Nick Blankenburg, but Mark Stone answered with a power-play goal to tie it up. Pavel Dorofeyev then gave Vegas a 2-1 lead early in the second period with his 36th goal of the season. Devon Toews evened things up for the Avalanche, sending the game to overtime.
That’s where Eichel took over. He picked up the puck, skated down the right side and sniped it over Blackwood’s pad from the circle. It was his third overtime goal of the season, tying David Perron and Shea Theodore for the second most in a single campaign in franchise history.
Carter Hart was excellent between the pipes, stopping 30 of 32 shots. It was arguably his best performance since returning from injury earlier this season.
The Golden Knights posted the announcement on X:
This run looked unlikely just weeks ago. Vegas fired Bruce Cassidy and hired John Tortorella with eight games left in the regular season. Tortorella has since guided the team to a 5-0-1 record, turning a fringe playoff squad into a Pacific Division leader.
Vegas finishes its regular season with a two-game homestand. They currently sit at 37-26-17 with 91 points and control of the Pacific Division. A strong close could lock up home-ice advantage in Round 1.
