LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brett Howden scored from behind the net off Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger at 1:35 of overtime Friday to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 4-3 victory in the Game 1 of their Western Conference final.
Jamie Benn forced overtime when he scored in a 6-on-5 game with 1:59 left in regulation.
This was the third time in four meetings this season that these teams went beyond the rules to determine the winner. Dallas won twice in the regular season on shooting.
William Karlsson scored two goals for Las Vegas, giving them seven this postseason and extending their scoring streak to three games. Teddy Blueger also scored, Zach Whitecloud had two assists and Adin Hill stopped 33 shots.
Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson each had a goal and an assist for the Stars. Hintz has 10 postseason goals and 12 assists, and has scored in the back of the net in four of the last five games. Joe Pavelski recorded two assists and Oettinger made 33 saves.
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The Stars struck first, taking advantage of a peculiar rebound on the boards where Zamboni enters. The puck ended up on the stick of Hintz, who took a shot from the high slot that Robertson redirected for a 1-0 lead with 1:16 left in the first.
The Knights evened the score midway through the second period when Whitecloud sent a shot from the edge of the boards behind the net to Karlsson.
Both teams came close to failing in the second. A shot by Las Vegas’ Alec Martinez somehow stayed on the goal line behind Oettinger, and Dallas’ Tyler Sequin hit the post on a rushing play.
Karlsson put the Knights up 2-1 early in the third before Hintz answered for the Stars at 4:10 of the period. Blueger capitalized on a scrum at the crease to score at 9:20 of the third before Benn equalized in the final two minutes.
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