Pavel Dorofeyev scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Vegas Golden Knights closed out the regular season with a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night.
Dorofeyev’s team-leading 35th goal came at 7:59 of the third, breaking a 1-1 tie. Jack Eichel, returning to action after missing four games with an upper-body injury, extended the lead just over three minutes later with his 28th goal of the season.
Victor Olofsson tied the game late in the second period and added an assist. Cole Schwindt scored his first NHL goal with an empty-netter, and defenseman Ben Hutton notched two assists. Goaltender Akira Schmid, making his fifth appearance of the season, stopped 16 shots.
The Golden Knights finished the season at 50-22-10, claiming the Pacific Division title and securing the second seed in the Western Conference. They’ll open the playoffs against the Minnesota Wild.
Pius Suter scored the lone goal for Vancouver, which was eliminated from playoff contention last week. The Canucks wrapped up the season with a 38-30-14 record.
Kevin Lankinen played the first two periods for the Canucks and made 19 saves on 20 shots. Nikita Tolopilo took over in the third and allowed two goals on eight shots.
Game Takeaways
Golden Knights: Rested key players, including Tomas Hertl, Adin Hill, and Noah Hanifin, with the division title secured.
Canucks: Failed to qualify for the postseason for the eighth time in the last 10 years.
Key Moment
Dorofeyev received a feed from Ben Hutton and ripped a shot from the faceoff circle over Tolopilo’s glove to give Vegas a 2-1 lead in the third.
Key Stat
Vegas completed a sweep of the four-game season series against Vancouver.
Looking Ahead
Golden Knights: Begin their playoff run against the Minnesota Wild in the first round.
Canucks: Head into the offseason after missing the playoffs once again.
