Brett Howden scored 4:05 into overtime to lift the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night, giving Vegas a 3-2 lead in their first-round playoff series.
The Wild appeared to take the lead with just over a minute left in regulation when Ryan Hartman scored, but the Golden Knights successfully challenged the play for offside. The goal was overturned after initially being upheld on video review, giving Vegas new life heading into overtime.
“That challenge saved us,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Down to the final minute, that’s a tough spot. But our group stuck with it.”
With the win, Vegas heads to St. Paul for Game 6 on Thursday with a chance to advance to the second round for the fifth time in franchise history.
Howden buried the winner from the left circle off a backhand pass from Tanner Pearson, scoring his third goal of the series. The sequence began with Pearson drawing two defenders, freeing up space for Howden to finish the play.
William Karlsson and Mark Stone also scored for the Golden Knights, while Jack Eichel recorded two assists, doubling his postseason point total through four games. Adin Hill made 20 saves in the win.
Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy each scored for the Wild, with Joel Eriksson Ek assisting on both goals. Kaprizov extended his point streak to five games, leading the team with nine points in the series. Boldy now has a series-high five goals.
Filip Gustavsson started for the Wild but was replaced by Marc-André Fleury to begin the third period due to illness. Fleury, making his record 18th career postseason appearance, made six saves, though he didn’t face a shot until midway through the final frame.
After trading power-play goals early in the first—Karlsson scoring shorthanded and Kaprizov answering 13 seconds later—Stone gave Vegas a 2-1 lead with 6:36 left in the period.
Boldy tied the game 3:31 into the third, jamming home a loose puck in front of the net. Minnesota pressed late and looked to have sealed the game before the overturned goal set the stage for overtime.
This marked the Golden Knights’ 100th playoff game in franchise history. With the victory, they extended their streak to 41 consecutive postseason wins when scoring at least three goals.