The Utah Mammoth were less than a minute from a pivotal Game 5 win before Vegas stormed back late and sealed a crushing double-overtime victory to push Utah to the brink of elimination.
The Utah Mammoth were 52 seconds from seizing control of the series, but in one brutal swing of momentum, everything changed.
Utah now returns to Salt Lake City facing elimination after a crushing 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series on Wednesday night. What looked like a signature road win slipped away late, leaving the Mammoth trailing 3-2 in the series with no margin for error the rest of the way.
Vegas completed the comeback behind a dramatic night from Pavel Dorofeyev, who delivered a hat trick and buried the game-tying goal with just 52 seconds left in regulation. Brett Howden then struck short-handed in the second overtime, finishing off a gut-punch defeat that swung the series back in the Golden Knights’ favor.
The game was a wild, emotional tug-of-war from the opening puck drop. Utah grabbed the lead twice in the first two periods on goals from John Marino and Lawson Crouse, but each time Vegas answered quickly and refused to let the Mammoth build any breathing room.
After Shea Theodore gave the Golden Knights a 3-2 advantage heading into the third, Utah responded with the kind of push that seemed destined to change the night. Dylan Guenther buried the equalizer, then Michael Carcone scored his second goal of the series to put the Mammoth ahead 4-3 late in regulation.
With the clock winding down and Utah on the verge of a massive win, Dorofeyev ripped home his third of the night to silence the celebration and force overtime.
Neither side could end it in the first extra frame, but in the second overtime Howden capitalized on a short-handed chance to complete Vegas’ stunning escape.
Now the path is simple for Utah: win Friday night at Delta Center or the season is over. A victory would force a winner-take-all Game 7 back in Las Vegas.
Puck drop for Game 6 is set for 8 p.m. Friday in Salt Lake City.
