4/26/25 Western Conference Stanley Cup Playoffs Game Recap

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild (GAME 4)

The Vegas Golden Knights won Game 4 in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Minnesota Wild and forced Game 6 in the series. This game took place at Xcel Energy Center and ended with a 4-3 overtime win for the Knights.

The Knights entered Game 4 with vengeance after their previous loss and took advantage of their first power play opportunity of the game. #27 Shea Theodore successfully scored on the man-advantage and put the Knights up 1-0. Wild’s #23 Marco Rossi answered back with the game-tying goal midway through the first period and made it a 1-1 game. After letting the first goals of the game slip past them, goaltenders # 33 Aiden Hill (Knights) and #32 Filip Gustavsson (Wild) both remained strong and kept it a 1-1 game throughout the remainder of the first period.

Wild’s #17 Marcus Foligno regained the Wild’s lead with a backhanded goal scored one minute and twenty-four seconds into the second period. Each team’s penalty kill unit and goaltenders were able to maintain control over the rest of the period which ended 2-1 in the Wild’s favor.

After #8 Zeev Buium received a high-sticking penalty early in the first period, the Knights were able to make it a 2-2 game with thirty-eight seconds left on their man-advantage when #10 Nicolas Roy successfully scored a power play goal. The Knights extended their lead 3-2 when the puck bounced off the body of #48 Tomas Hertl and into the back of the net during a wrestling match in front of the net between #48 Hertl and Wild’s #38 Ryan Hartman. This lead was short lived as Wild’s #46 C. Jared Spurgeon tied the game fifty-five seconds later with a wrap around goal from the left side of the net (3-3). The Knights quickly called a timeout to review the Wild’s game-tying goal to determine whether they would challenge for goaltender interference. After their timeout, the game resumed as normal as the Knights decided to play it safe and not challenge the goal in order to avoid a possible failed Coach’s Challenge and a Wild power play opportunity. After tying the game, both teams had a couple great scoring chances but struggled to break the standstill which forced the teams to go to overtime with a 3-3 game.

Despite the Wild having multiple power play opportunities during overtime, the Knights’ penalty kill and goaltending maintained at a 100% success rate which ultimately helped them to stay in the game. In the final three minutes of the game, Knights’ #49 Ivan Barbashev was able to break the standstill and forced Game 6 in the series after he secured the team’s 4-3 overtime win.

The standout players

Vegas Golden Knights

Forward: #49 Ivan Barbashev scored the overtime game winning goal and assisted one goal by the end of this game
Defensemen: #27 Shea Theodore scored the first Knights goal of the game
Goaltender: #33 Aiden Hill had a save percentage of 0.906% after he saved 29 out of 32 shots on goal

Minnesota Wild

Forward: #17 Marcus Foligno and #23 Marco Rossi scored a goal by the end of this game
Defensemen: #46 C. Jared Spurgeon scored the Wild’s game-tying goal of this game
Goaltender: #32 Filip Gustavsson had a save percentage of 0.913% after he saved 42 out of 46 shots on goal

Stats

The Knights outshot the Wild (46 SOG vs. 32 SOG)
The Knights delivered more hits than the Wild (34 hits vs. 28 hits)
The Wild won more faceoffs than the Knights (50.7% vs 49.3%)
The Knights had a higher power play success rate than the Wild (40 PP% vs. 0 PP%)

SUMMARY: Overall, the Knights’ physicality, puck possession, goaltending, and penalty kill unit was what helped them to secure their 4-3 overtime win and forced Game 6 in this series.

Upcoming Games

GAME 5

When: April 29, 2025 at 6:30 PM PST
Where: T-Mobile Arena
Watch: TBD

Game 6

When: May 1, 2025 at 4:30 PM PST
Where: Xcel Energy Center
Watch: ESPN, Sling TV, YouTube TV

The Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights are tied 2-2 in round one of the playoffs

Who do you think is going to win Game 5?

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Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche (GAME 4)

The Colorado Avalanche won Game 4 of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Dallas Stars and forced Game 6 in the series. This game took place at Ball Arena and ended with a 4-0 shutout for the Avs.

Both #39 Mackenzie Blackwood (Avs) and #29 Jake Oettinger (Stars) started the first period with a 100% success rate up until the Avs’ found their footing and struck first in the game. With seven minutes and twenty-one seconds left in the period, #27 Logan O’Connor snapped the puck top shelf and scored a shorthanded goal while on a 2-on-1 breakaway which made it a 1-0 game. #29 Nathan MacKinnon kept the Avs momentum rolling as he scored a short handed power play goal which slipped past #29 Oettinger’s arm with twenty-three seconds left in the first period. This was the last goal scored in the first period which ended 2-0 in the Avs’ favor.

Although both teams had a set of great scoring chances, hits, and impressive saves, the second period remained 2-0 until the latter half of the period. Ball Arena erupted in a chorus of “Landy” chants when #92 C. Gabriel Landeskog scored his first goal of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs and extended the Avs’ lead 3-0. After scoring the puck top shelf, #29 Oettinger kept the Avs from scoring any additional goals while #39 Blackwood maintained his 100% success rate to keep the second period 3-0.

#1 Casey DeSmith started out in net for the Stars during the third period which was surprising to fans as #29 Oettinger played a great game despite letting three goals slip past him. Even with the Stars goaltender change, the Avs remained unfazed and continued to maintain control over the game. With nine minutes and fourteen seconds left in the third period, #49 Samuel Girard fired the puck towards the net which deflected off Stars’ #6 Lian Bichsel’s skate, through the legs of #1 DeSmith, and into the back of the net to extend the Avs’ lead 4-0. With one last push in the game, the Stars found themselves on the man-advantage with a minute and forty-nine seconds left in regulation. A scrum ensued in the final minute of the game which made the teams play 4-on-4 hockey for the remainder of period. Unfortunately for the Stars, their last push was not enough to break #39 Mackenzie Blackwood’s 4-0 shutout. This Avs’ shutout tied the series 2-2 and forced Game 6 in the series.

The standout players

Colorado Avalanche

Forward: #92 C. Gabriel Landeskog earned the first star of the game after he scored one goal and had one assist by the end of this game
Defensemen: #49 Samuel Girard scored the last Avs goal of the game
Goaltender: #39 Mackenzie Blackwood had a save percentage of 1.000% after he saved all 23 shots on goal that he faced

Dallas Stars

Goaltenders: #29 Jake Oettinger started out in net and had a save percentage of 0.912% after he saved 31 out of 34 shots on goal up until the end of the second period. #1 Casey DeSmith took over for the remainder of the game and ended the game with a 0.929 SV% after he saved 13 out of 14 shots on goal

Stats

The Avs outshot the Stars (48 SOG vs. 23 SOG)
The Avs slightly delivered more hits than the Stars (39 hits vs. 38 hits)
Both the Avs and Stars had a 50.0% faceoffs success rate
The Avs had a higher power play success rate than the Stars (100 PP% vs. 0PP%)

SUMMARY: Overall, the Avs’ ability to maintain puck possession, stellar goaltending, and being able to consistently play a physical game throughout all 60 minutes of the game helped them to shutout the Stars 4-0 and force Game 6 in this series.

Upcoming Games

GAME 5