5/1/25 Western Conference Stanley Cup Playoffs Game Recap
- Lyanna Yeow
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild (GAME 6)
The Vegas Golden Knights won Game 6 in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs and advanced to the Second Round after they played their series against the Minnesota Wild. This game took place at Xcel Energy Center and ended with a final score of 3-2 in the Knights’ favor.
The first period kicked off with a Knights power play goal scored by #27 Shea Theodore a minute and three seconds into their man-advantage (1-0). Both #32 Filip Gustavsson (Wild) and #33 Adin Hill (Knights) maintained an impressive performance which kept the score 1-0 in the Knights favor up until the final minutes of the first period. Wild’s #32 Ryan Hartman broke through and scored the game tying goal with four seconds left in the period to make it a 1-1 game.
Despite both teams having great scoring opportunities , the game remained scoreless until the Knights were able to regain their one-goal lead in the final five minutes of the second period. #9 Jack Eichel scored a wrist shot past #32 Gustavsson and made it a 2-1 game. The Knights’ goal remained unanswered which helped them to keep their lead going into the third period.
The score remained stagnant despite having a series of hits, power play opportunities, and great saves. The Knights were able to extend their lead with a goal scored by #61 C. Mark Stone in the latter half of the third period (3-1). Thirty seconds after #61 C. Stone’s goal, the game started to intensify with #38 Ryan Hartman making it a one-goal game for the Wild (3-2). In the end, #33 Hill was able to hold onto the Knights’ lead and punch the team’s ticket into the Second Round.
The standout players
Vegas Golden Knights
Minnesota Wild
Stats
The Wild outshot the Knights (31 SOG vs. 23 SOG)
The Knights delivered more hits than the Wild (33 hits vs. 23 hits)
The Knights won more faceoffs than the Wild (51.7% vs 48.3%)
The Knights had a higher power play success rate than the Wild (25 PP% vs. 0 PP%)
SUMMARY: Although the Wild were able to maintain puck possession during this game, the Knights' physical game, PP/PK unit, and goaltending helped them to secure their win in Game 6 of this series.
The Vegas Golden Knights won the series 4-2 in round one of the playoffs against the Minnesota Wild
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Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche (GAME 6)
The Colorado Avalanche won Game 6 in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Dallas Stars which forced Game 7 in this series. This game took place at Ball Arena and ended with a final score of 7-4 in the Avs’ favor.
Ball Arena lit up with excitement after #13 Valeri Nichushkin’s shot bounced off Stars’ #46 Ilya Lyubushkin’s skate and into the back of the net to give the Avs a 1-0 lead early in the first period. The Avs continued to battle it out along the boards and were able to extend their lead, 2-0, after #8 Cale Makar’s shot was tipped in by #62 Artturi Lehkonen in the final two minutes of the game. #39 Mackenzie Blackwood’s impressive performance in the net for the Avs helped to keep the Stars scoreless going into the second period.
The Stars came back with vengeance in the second period with a power play goal scored by #24 Roope Hintz and the game-tying goal scored by # Mikael Granlund two minutes and twenty-three seconds after the Stars’ first goal of the game (2-2). The Stars’ momentum did not hinder the Avs as #88 Martin Necas regained the team’s lead fifty-three seconds after the Stars’ game-tying goal to make it a 3-2 game. The Avs’ lead was short lived as #24 Hintz quickly answered back with the Stars’ game-tying goal (3-3) which would later be extended by #96 Mikko Rantanen in the final two minutes of the second period (4-3). Stars’ goaltender, #29 Jake Oettinger, and their penalty kill unit worked hard in the final minutes of this period to keep it 4-3 in their favor going into the last period of the game.
Although the Avs struggled on their power play opportunities during this game, this did not hinder their overall momentum in the third period as they closed out Game 6 with three unanswered goals. The goal-scoring streak in the third period started off when #13 Nichushkin scored the Avs’ game-tying goal to make it a 4-4 game after capitalizing on a rebound opportunity from #92 C. Gabriel Landeskog. This was then followed up by #29 MacKinnon regaining the Avs’ lead after banking the puck off Stars’ #15 Colin Blackwell which put the Avs up 5-4. #42 Josh Manson and #8 Cale Makar sealed the deal with two empty-net goals which greatly contributed to the Avs’ 7-4 win. After battling it out on home ice and the impressive goaltending performance by #39 Mackenzie Blackwood helped the Avs to force a highly anticipated Game 7 in this series against the Stars.
The standout players
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Stats
The Avs outshot the Stars (48 SOG vs. 26 SOG)
The Avs delivered more hits than the Stars (45 hits vs. 19 hits)
Both teams ended the game with a 50.0% faceoff percentage
The Stars had a higher power play success rate than the Avs (100 PP% vs. 0PP%)
SUMMARY: The Avs’ physicality, puck possession maintenance, and being able to capitalize on their shots on goal greatly helped the team to force Game 7 in this series.
Upcoming Games
GAME 7
When: May 3, 2025 at TBD PST
Where: American Airlines Center
Watch: ESPN, FUBO
The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are tied 3-3 in round one of the playoffs
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LA Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers (Game 6)
The Vegas Golden Knights won their Round One series against the LA Kings in Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This game took place at Rogers Place and ended with a final score of 6-4 in the Oilers’ favor.
The Kings opened up Game 6 with a goal scored by #55 Quinton Byfield a minute and nineteen seconds into the first period to make it a 1-0 game. The Kings’ one-goal lead was temporarily short lived as Oilers’ #19 Adam Henrique slipped the puck past Kings’ goaltender, #35 Darcy Kuemper (1-1). The Kings did not back down and regained their lead thirty-three seconds after the Oilers’ game-tying goal when #92 Brandt Clarke ripped a snapshot past Oilers’ goaltender, #30 Calvin Pickard (2-1). Unfortunately for the Kings, their penalty kill struggled to stop #93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who ended up scoring the Oilers’ game-tying power play goal which made it a 2-2 game. The Oilers continued to work with the momentum from their successful power play opportunity and extended their lead, 3-2, when #18 Zach Hyman tipped in #25 Darnell Nurse’s shot in the latter half of the first period. Both goaltenders remained solid and kept it 3-2 in the Oilers’ favor going into the second period.
The score remained the same despite the Kings’ multiple opportunities to tie the game and the Oilers great chances to extend their lead in the beginning half of the period. The Oilers broke the drought with two goals scored back-to-back by #25 Nurse and #21 Trent Frederic in the latter half of the second period (5-2). In the final two minutes of the period, #21 Jordan Spence made it a three-goal game after his snapshot slipped back #30 Pickard and found its way into the back of the net (5-3). The second period ended with a score of 5-3 in the Oilers’ favor after the impressive performance from both teams.
The impressive goaltending from Oilers’ #30 Pickard helped his team to maintain their lead while Kings’ #35 Kuemper kept his team in the game with a remarkable series of saves. The Kings were finally able to cut their goal-deficit by one-goal after #11 C. Anze Kopitar scored a goal with fifty-five seconds left in regulation. Unfortunately for the Kings, this one-goal lead was short lived as Oilers’ #28 Connor Brown secured their 6-2 win in the final two seconds of the third period. After a hard fought set of games, the Oilers have won the series 4-2 and advanced to the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The standout players
Edmonton Oilers
LA Kings
Stats
The Oilers outshot the Kings (29 SOG vs. 27 SOG)
The Kings delivered more hits than the Oilers (34 hits vs. 26 hits)
The Kings won more faceoffs than the Oilers (58.2% vs 41.8%)
The Oilers had a higher power play success rate than the Kings (100 PP% vs. 0 PP%)
SUMMARY: Despite the Kings physicality and success during the faceoffs, the Oilers’ ability to capitalize on their shots on goal and their man-advantages greatly benefited them in their 6-4 win.
The Edmonton Oilers won the series 4-2 in round one of the playoffs against the LA Kings
Who do you think is going to win when the Oilers will take on the Knights Round Two?
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Come back for the next 2025 Stanley Cup Round One Western Conference game recap!
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