William Karlsson and Ivan Barbashev scored 47 seconds apart in the second period, helping the Vegas Golden Knights secure a 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night, commanding a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
The Golden Knights can eliminate the Jets in Game 5 on Thursday in Las Vegas. Historically, teams that lead 3-1 in a best-of-seven series hold a 299-31 record in advancing.
“No panic, just take care of business,” said Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy. “Play the right way, and you get the result you’re after. That’s what we came here to do.”
The Jets were hit hard by injuries, losing star center Mark Scheifele early in the first period to an upper-body injury. He joined a growing injury list that includes All-Star defenseman Josh Morrissey and forward Nikolaj Ehlers, who has yet to play in the series.
“Scheifele will be re-evaluated tomorrow,” said Jets head coach Rick Bowness.
Brett Howden, a Manitoba native, scored twice for Vegas, including an empty-netter. “Having my parents, siblings, and in-laws here made it special,” Howden said.
Chandler Stephenson and Shea Theodore each provided two assists, and goalie Laurent Brossoit made 24 saves against his former team.
“We didn’t give them much,” said Brossoit. “They’re battling injuries, but we stayed focused and didn’t let up.”
Blake Wheeler contributed a goal and an assist, while Pierre-Luc Dubois scored for the Jets. Neal Pionk added two assists, extending his point streak to seven assists over four games. Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves for Winnipeg.
“We can either feel sorry for ourselves or stay positive,” said Dubois. “We’ve won in Vegas before and believe we can do it again.”
After a 1-1 first period, Vegas surged to a 3-1 lead in the second. Scheifele departed just minutes into the game after he crashed into the boards and later appeared to injure his arm while attempting a shot. He left the game at 5:11 of the first period, a major loss as he led the Jets with a career-high 42 goals this season.
Wheeler gave the Jets an early 1-0 lead on the power play, but Howden tied it four minutes after following up his own blocked shot. In the second period, Vegas took control with Karlsson’s goal at 13:32, followed by Barbashev’s tip-in at 14:19, making it 3-1.
Dubois pulled the Jets within one, scoring on a power play with a bouncing puck at 2:53 of the third, but Howden’s empty-net goal sealed the win for Vegas.
NOTES:
- Chandler Stephenson’s two assists gave him multiple points in three straight games, making him the fourth player in Golden Knights history to achieve this in the playoffs.
- Phil Kessel played his 100th career playoff game.
- Winnipeg’s Logan Stanley took Josh Morrissey’s spot on defense, while backup goalie David Rittich missed the game with a lower-body injury. Arvid Holm was called up from the AHL as an emergency backup.
