Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice in regulation, including the game-tying goal with 34.2 seconds remaining, and netted one of Vegas’ three shootout goals, leading the Golden Knights to a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Monday night. The win temporarily delayed Minnesota’s playoff-clinching until Dallas beat Nashville 5-1 shortly after.
Keegan Kolesar scored in regulation for Vegas, while Jack Eichel and Reilly Smith added shootout goals. Laurent Brossoit made 30 saves for the Golden Knights, who lead the Western Conference and Pacific Division with 103 points and have already secured a postseason spot.
“It’s huge because these are important games for us,” Kolesar said. “For a team who wants to go the distance, we might see these guys later. So, for us, it’s taking care of business, home or away, whatever it may be.”
Matt Boldy reached the 30-goal mark in his first full NHL season with a goal and an assist for the Wild, who clinched a playoff berth for the fourth consecutive season despite the loss. Minnesota is tied with Dallas, atop the Central Division, with 98 points.
“Listen, that’s our first step, right?” Wild coach Dean Evason said. “The way we played tonight as opposed to the other night, we were so happy with how we played. Five-on-five, we were as good as we’ve been and made a mistake at the end 5-on-6. We liked how we returned from that game (in Vegas) and played a really strong hockey game.”
Brandon Duhaime and John Klingberg also scored in regulation for Minnesota, while Frederick Gaudreau and Joel Eriksson Ek scored in the shootout. Filip Gustavsson made 23 saves for the Wild.
Dorofeyev tied the game twice, with his first goal coming in the second period before Boldy’s go-ahead goal late in the frame.
With Brossoit pulled and Vegas trailing 3-2, the puck found Dorofeyev wide open in front of Gustavsson, forcing overtime. The Russian rookie has seven goals in 13 games this season.
“I just try to keep feeding him the puck because it seems like he’s got a lot of confidence right now,” said Smith, who assisted Dorofeyev’s first goal. “He’s putting it in the back of the net.”
Minnesota’s surge up the standings, with points in 21 of their last 23 games, has come despite leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov missing the past 12 games with a lower-body injury. Kaprizov has started skating independently, and Boldy has filled the void.
The 21-year-old forward has six multipoint games in the 12 games without Kaprizov, scoring 13 goals during that span. He became the second player in franchise history with a 30-goal season at age 21 or younger, joining Marian Gaborik, the franchise’s first star who had two such seasons.
“Played a lot better than we played in Vegas, just staying above their guys and being smart with pinches and stuff like that,” Boldy said. “They didn’t generate too much off the rush, which is where their offense comes from. It’s a tough break to see them leave with two points.”
SMART CHOICE
Smith returned to the lineup after missing four games with a lower-body injury, and the original plan was to scratch Dorofeyev for a second straight game. Instead, Dorofeyev played due to Chandler Stephenson’s illness.
“Sometimes you get lucky, right?” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “That’s the way it works. So, we didn’t intend to keep Pav out for a long stretch here. We’re just kind of going from game to game, especially with guys coming in and out. … Pav goes in, so Stevie might have been the first star tonight if you follow my logic.”
DOWN A MAN
The Wild announced rookie forward Mason Shaw tore the ACL in his right knee in Saturday’s game at Vegas and will miss the rest of the season. Shaw had seven goals and 10 assists in 59 games for Minnesota this season.
UP NEXT
- Golden Knights: Finish a back-to-back Tuesday at Nashville.
- Wild: Play at Pittsburgh on Thursday.
