Vegas dropped Game 5 in Raleigh 4-2, falling behind 3-2 in the Stanley Cup Final. Pavel Dorofeyev scored both Golden Knights goals, but back-to-back second-period penalties flipped the game — Andrei Svechnikov buried the go-ahead power-play goal at 11:58 of the second to make it 2-1 after Staal had tied it, and Sebastian Aho converted an odd-man rush at 17:51 to make it 3-1. William Karlsson exited with an injury during the same stretch, and John Tortorella confirmed he is unlikely to return for the series.
Knight of the Night
Pavel Dorofeyev
Scored both Vegas goals on three shots and finished plus-1 in 17:53 of ice time.
Penalties and a Lost Star Derail Vegas in Game 5
Vegas struck first when Pavel Dorofeyev converted a Jack Eichel feed at 6:52 of the first period. Carolina answered five minutes later when Jordan Staal redirected a Nik Ehlers pass to tie it 1-1. The game pivoted on back-to-back Vegas penalties in the second. With the score still tied, Andrei Svechnikov buried a power-play goal at 11:58 to give Carolina a 2-1 lead, and Sebastian Aho converted an odd-man rush at 17:51 to make it 3-1. William Karlsson exited with an injury during the same stretch, costing Vegas a top-six center who kills penalties and quarterbacks the second power-play unit. Svechnikov added his second at 11:08 of the third for a 4-1 cushion. Dorofeyev's second tally at 13:49 cut it to 4-2, but Vegas generated nothing further as Carter Hart finished with 20 saves on 24 shots.
Key Players
Pavel Dorofeyev
2G 0A — Opened the scoring at 6:52 of the first period by finishing an Eichel feed and added a late goal at 13:49 of the third to cut the deficit to 4-2, accounting for all of Vegas's offense on three shots.
Jack Eichel
0G 2A — Recorded the primary assist on both Dorofeyev goals, threading the setup on the opening tally and contributing to the late goal that trimmed Carolina's lead to 4-2, though Vegas could not generate another chance after that.
What did Tortorella Say About Losing Karlsson?
John Tortorella acknowledged his team's strong start but identified the back-to-back penalties in the second period as the turning point — the same stretch when Karlsson exited with an injury. Tortorella confirmed Karlsson is unlikely to return for the series, calling him an irreplaceable piece who handles penalty-kill duties, power-play shifts, and critical defensive-zone draws. He challenged the group to fill the void collectively rather than leaning on one player. Tortorella also noted the penalty kill needs more aggression after Carolina converted on the power play and capitalized on an odd-man rush.
Yeah, I thought we had a good start. We had a really good start. We lost momentum when we went back to back in penalties. It's about the same time that we lost Bill.
Golden Knights' Playoff Journey Hits a Wall
Vegas opened the postseason by eliminating Utah in six games (4-2), then dispatched Anaheim in another six-game series (4-2). The Western Conference Final was a statement sweep of Colorado (4-0), securing the franchise's second Stanley Cup Final berth. The Golden Knights now trail Carolina 3-2 after a 4-2 Game 5 loss in Raleigh, facing elimination heading back to T-Mobile Arena for Game 6.
Can Vegas Force Game 7?
- Jun 14: vs Carolina Hurricanes, T-Mobile Arena - 5:00 PM (Game 6)
- Jun 17: at Carolina Hurricanes, PNC Arena - 5:00 PM (Game 7)