Reilly Smith scored his second goal of the game at 4:31 of overtime to lift the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Saturday night. The result also secured a playoff berth for the Los Angeles Kings.
Making his first start of the season, Akira Schmid stopped 21 shots for the Golden Knights.
Pavel Dorofeyev opened the scoring late in the first period with his team-leading 33rd goal of the year. Smith extended the lead to 2-0 midway through the second.
Calgary responded with a goal from Joel Hanley just eight seconds before the second intermission. Matt Coronato tied the game just 43 seconds into the third period.
Despite the loss, Dustin Wolf made 31 saves for the Flames in a strong outing.
Game Takeaways
Golden Knights: Vegas held onto its lead atop the Pacific Division, remaining three points ahead of the Kings.
Flames: Calgary inched closer to the second wild-card spot in the West, sitting four points behind Minnesota with one game in hand. The two teams will meet Friday at the Saddledome in a crucial matchup.
Key Moment
In overtime, Smith skated behind the Flames’ net and fired a backhand shot that deflected off Wolf and trickled across the line to seal the win.
Key Stat
Vegas improved to 16-4-1 against Pacific Division opponents this season.
Up next
Golden Knights: Travel to Vancouver to face the Canucks on Sunday night.
Flames: Head to San Jose for a Monday night matchup with the Sharks.