Vegas moves on with 3-2 win in series clincher over Wild
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Jack Eichel and Mark Stone proved they’re a powerful pairing for Vegas, leading the Golden Knights to a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 6 on Thursday night. With the victory, Vegas became the first Western Conference team to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs.
Both Eichel and Stone tallied a goal and an assist, while goaltender Adin Hill stood strong with 29 saves. Shea Theodore opened the scoring on a power play in the first period, Eichel netted his first goal of the series late in the second, and Stone added the crucial insurance goal in the third. Vegas will now face the Edmonton Oilers, who eliminated the Los Angeles Kings in six games.
Minnesota’s postseason woes continued with the loss, marking their ninth consecutive series defeat — a streak tied for the third-longest in NHL history, according to Sportradar. The Wild have now suffered eight straight first-round exits, matching the second-longest such streak in Stanley Cup history.
Ryan Hartman scored both goals for the Wild, including a wraparound effort with 3:27 left in regulation — just 31 seconds after Stone’s goal gave Vegas a two-goal cushion. Earlier, Hartman tied the game with four seconds remaining in the first period. That goal stood in contrast to his would-be game-winner in Game 5, which was overturned on an offside challenge by Vegas.
Stone’s late-game heroics continued a hot streak — he notched four points over the last three games of the series. He also set up Eichel’s breakaway goal with a precise stretch pass that narrowly escaped the diving stick of Kirill Kaprizov. The duo had been held off the scoresheet through the first three games, with Minnesota’s physical defense limiting Vegas’ speed and space.
In response, Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy shuffled his lines in Game 4 to spark the offense. The absence of Pavel Dorofeyev in Game 6 led Cassidy to reunite Eichel and Stone on the top line alongside William Karlsson — a move that paid off.
Vegas closed out the series with three straight one-goal victories, including back-to-back overtime wins, outlasting the Wild in a hard-fought series.
