Faced with a relentless barrage of shots, Vegas goalie Adin Hill rose to the occasion, starting with a breakaway save against Tyler Seguin and following up with key stops on Evgenii Dadonov and Seguin again.
This was the Hill reminiscent of last year’s Stanley Cup championship run, and thanks to his efforts, the Golden Knights kept their title defense alive by defeating the Dallas Stars 2-0 on Friday night, forcing a Game 7.
“You need to make big saves at big times in big games,” Hill said. “That’s how you win playoff games. I think our team learned that last year, and any team that’s won, their goalies had to catch fire at times.”
The decisive game in this first-round series will be held Sunday in Dallas.
Hill stopped 23 shots for his first shutout since early November. Noah Hanifin broke the scoreless tie at 9:54 of the third period, and Mark Stone added an empty-net goal from 176 feet away with 18.9 seconds left to secure the win.
This was Hanifin’s second game-winning goal of the series. He was acquired at the trade deadline from Calgary.
“Ever since I got traded here, I was super excited about the opportunity to come to a team with guys that have won,” Hanifin said. “It’s a great culture here, and I’m fortunate to be a part of it. I feel good about my game and I’m trying to contribute in any way I can.”
The game featured a classic goalie duel, with Hill showcasing the form that saw him go 11-4 with a .932 save percentage and 2.17 goals allowed per game in last year’s playoffs. However, Hill had been inconsistent late in the season, and Logan Thompson had started the series’ first four games.
The Knights turned to Hill for Game 5, which they lost 3-2, and again for this crucial match.
“At the end of the year, Adin was feeling pretty good about his game,” Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “You could see it in practice. Pucks were just finding their way in. … He should have confidence. He just pitched a shutout and made some really high-end saves.”
On the other side, Jake Oettinger made 28 saves and entered the game without conceding a goal in the third period or overtime in this series. Hanifin’s goal ended Oettinger’s streak at 60 saves.
“I would’ve liked to have shut it down tonight, but now that we’re in this position, that’s why we played so well during the regular season to get Game 7 at home if it comes to that,” Oettinger said. “The ball’s in our court. We’re on home ice, and now it’s on us to take care of business.”
Statistics favor both sides heading into Game 7.
Vegas took a 2-0 lead in this series, and the Knights are 4-0 when holding such an advantage. The Stars have never overcome such a deficit in the nine previous tries since moving to Dallas. NHL teams overall are 351-55 when given that early lead.
However, Stars coach Pete DeBoer has never lost a Game 7, boasting a 7-0 record.
“There’s nothing better than Game 7s,” DeBoer said. “That’s what you grew up dreaming about playing, and the second-best thing is coaching in them.”
The game was electric from the start, with both teams missing major scoring opportunities as tension built. The Golden Knights added star power with recording artist Shania Twain cranking the horn before the game and James Holzhauer of Jeopardy fame doing it before the third period.
Vegas dominated early, living in the Stars’ offensive zone, but failed to capitalize on several chances. Dallas didn’t get its first shot on goal until 7:45 into the game, but the Knights couldn’t convert on opportunities from Nicolas Roy and Keegan Kolesar, who hit the post.
Despite high-intensity action, the game remained scoreless through the second period. Hill made several spectacular saves, with Stone even clearing a puck from the goal line. Logan Stankoven missed an open net for the Stars, and Jonathan Marchessault’s shot from the left circle caused a scare for the Dallas defense.
Hanifin finally broke through with an unassisted wrister from the right circle, securing the win for the Knights.
The series will now be decided in Dallas, where both teams will fight for the right to continue their playoff journey.
