04/11/26 10:20:00
Printable Page
04/11 22:18 CDT Eichel scores in OT, Knights clinch playoff berth with 3-2 win
over Avs
Eichel scores in OT, Knights clinch playoff berth with 3-2 win over Avs
By MICHAEL KELLY
Associated Press
DENVER (AP) --- Jack Eichel scored 1:19 into overtime, and the Vegas Golden
Knights beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Saturday night to secure a playoff
berth.
Vegas (91 points) took over the Pacific Division lead from Edmonton with its
fifth win in six games since coach John Tortorella was hired to replace Bruce
Cassidy. The Oilers, who lost 1-0 at Los Angeles earlier, have 90 points and
Anaheim is third with 89 points.
Knights goaltender Carter Hart, who finished with 30 saves, stoned Devon Toews
on a shot and Eichel gathered the rebound. He skated down the left boards and
beat Mackenzie Blackwood to win it.
Blackwood finished with 26 saves for Colorado, which lost defenseman Josh
Manson to an upper-body injury and coach Jared Bednar early in the third period
after getting hit in the head with the puck.
Keegan Kolesar was carrying the puck up along the boards in the neutral zone
when he lifted it over into the Avs bench and struck Bednar, who went to his
knees holding the side of his head.
He was helped to the locker room by one of the team's trainers and did not
return to the bench. He was taken to a hospital after the game for a CT scan.
Colorado clinched the top overall seed with Thursday's 3-1 win over Calgary,
the third time in franchise history it has captured the Presidents' Trophy. The
Avs have a say in who wins the Pacific Division, too, with a game in Edmonton
on Monday night.
Toews gave Colorado a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal midway through the first
period and Mark Stone tied it on the Knights' second man-advantage later in the
period.
Pavel Dorofeyev gave Vegas a 2-1 lead 2:09 into the second period and Nick
Blankenburg made it 2-all, his first goal with the Avs.
Up next
Golden Knights: Host Winnipeg on Monday night.
Avalanche: At Edmonton on Monday night.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
|
