Vegas Golden Knights closed out their NHL Playoffs series with a 5-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center, securing a 4-2 series victory and a spot in the Western Conference Final against the Colorado Avalanche. Vegas struck three times in the first period and never looked back, finishing with goals from Mitch Marner, Brett Howden, Shea Theodore and a late brace from Pavel Dorofeyev. Goaltender Carter Hart turned away 31 of 32 shots as Anaheim outshot Vegas 32-21 in front of 16,778 fans.

Early burst sets the tone

The Golden Knights opened fast. Marner needed just 62 seconds to score the opener, finishing a tidy move set up by William Karlsson and Shea Theodore. Midway through the period, Howden added a shorthanded goal after a smart read from Marner.

Theodore capped a dominant first with a power play blast from the point, assisted by Tomas Hertl. After 20 minutes, Vegas led 3-0 and had the Ducks chasing.

Ducks rally, Hart slams the door

Anaheim pushed hard in the second, winning 61% of faceoffs in the frame and outshooting Vegas 13-9. Mikael Granlund pulled one back on the power play, with Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson providing the touches.

Hart handled the rest. The Vegas netminder stayed composed through traffic and one-timers, preserving the two-goal cushion that set the stage for a calm finish.

Dorofeyev finishes it off

The third period was a Carter Hart show on one end and clean finishing on the other. Despite Anaheim firing 15 shots, Hart stopped them all. Dorofeyev then iced the game with two even-strength goals, first from Ivan Barbashev and later from Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson.

For the box, Dorofeyev earned first star honors with his brace, Granlund was named second star, and Hart took the third with a 0.969 save percentage. A quirky late note: Hart took a rare goalie minor for illegal equipment, served by Barbashev.

Special teams and key numbers

Vegas won the special teams battle early, scoring once on two power plays and netting a shorthanded goal. Anaheim finished 1 of 5 with the man advantage. Faceoffs narrowly favored the Golden Knights overall at 53%.

Shots will grab attention. The Ducks led 32-21, including a 15-3 edge in the third, but Hart’s positioning made the difference. On Sofascore, fans can dive into shot types, heat maps, and player stats, plus check the Sofascore Rating to see who stood out.

What it means for the Western Conference Final

The Golden Knights now meet the Colorado Avalanche in a series that promises speed, skill and plenty of transition play. Vegas will lean on its depth scoring, mobile blue line and Hart’s form. Keeping Colorado’s power play off the ice will be just as important as finishing chances at even strength.

Follow the Western Conference Final on Sofascore for live NHL scores, detailed stats, and the Sofascore Rating after every game.