Golden Knights score late to take 1-0 series lead over Ducks

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vegas-golden-knights/fTT0TsUg/"]Vegas[/a] goaltender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hart-carter/jeyiztUC/"]Carter Hart[/a] has now allowed just one goal in back-to-back games after his 33-save performance against the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/anaheim-ducks/4CM4ojpD/"]Ducks[/a]. [/p][p]They now improve to 13-7 in Game 1's in their franchise's history. Anaheim, on the other hand, look to battle back as they have a 4-11 all-time series record (3-4 on the road) when trailing 1-0.[/p][p]Game 2 between the Knights and Ducks is scheduled for May 6th. [/p][h2]Recap & Highlights[/h2][p]Unlike the first game on Monday night between the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/carolina-hurricanes-philadelphia-flyers-game-2-stanley-cup-playoffs-2026/844hJGKl/"]Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers[/a], this matchup was quiet through the first two periods. [/p][p]Both teams had a single power-play opportunity in the first, but neither capitalized. Then Anaheim had two more chances in the second, but no cigar. [/p][p][b]It wasn't until Vegas' [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/howden-brett/SjH2nDdA/"]Brett Howden[/a] opened things up after scoring his fifth goal of the playoffs to make it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/anaheim-ducks-4CM4ojpD/vegas-golden-knights-fTT0TsUg/?mid=CzZ40IWa"]1-0[/a]. [/b]He became the first player in franchise history to score an opening goal in back-to-back playoff games.[/p][embed guid="f692ecbe-023e-4d0e-af6b-5c6b509bebdb" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2051497389404442951?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Even the shot charts would remain consistent as Anaheim put up 11 in the first, 10 in the second, compared to Vegas' six and eight. Both teams headed into the third period perfectly split 50-50 on face-offs. [/p][p]The near-even splits on the power play even continued in the third period. [/p][p]After both teams went 0-for-2 through the first 13 minutes of the third, Anaheim finally got on the board with their 29th shot on goal. [/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/granlund-mikael/lUeWxpf3/"]Mikael Granlund[/a] scored his third to make it a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/anaheim-ducks-4CM4ojpD/vegas-golden-knights-fTT0TsUg/?mid=CzZ40IWa"]1-1[/a] game, with assists from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lacombe-jackson/WGymA2rC/"]Jackson LaCombe[/a] (9) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/carlson-john/WWRX2pFj/"]John Carlson[/a] (4). [/b][/p][embed guid="775c35ab-5220-4077-88d7-d81f85e98026" url="https://x.com/AnaheimDucks/status/2051516613846069758?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]LaCombe became the fastest player in Ducks history (seven games) to reach 10 career playoff points, surpassing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kariya-paul/ITSfQ597/"]Paul Kariya[/a]'s eight games in 1997. [/p][p]His seven games also tie Joe Micheletti (1981) for the fewest needed by a defenseman to reach 10 points in the postseason. [/p][p]But the tie game would last a whopping one minute before Vegas retaliated to retake the lead. [/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barbashev-ivan/0bfYBWDO/"]Ivan Barbashev[/a] scored his third of the playoffs after a perfect pass from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dorofeyev-pavel/4YwjaJ5r/"]Pavel Dorofeyev[/a], his first postseason assist, to make it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/anaheim-ducks-4CM4ojpD/vegas-golden-knights-fTT0TsUg/?mid=CzZ40IWa"]2-1[/a] with under five minutes remaining. [/b][/p][embed guid="b1989d74-e169-45ae-a6a5-459df03f9400" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2051518038063681822?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]He joins [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smith-reilly/Mkf36HFB/"]Reilly Smith[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pacioretty-max/8UxA74SI/"]Max Pacioretty[/a] as the only two players in franchise history to score a go-ahead goal in a playoff game. [/p][p][b]And it was all that was needed despite a last-second empty-net goal from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/marner-mitchell/Agmv3YoI/"]Mitch Marner[/a] to seal the deal and take Game 1 from the Ducks.[/b][/p][p]Anaheim outshot (34-22) and outhit (35-27) Vegas, but couldn't find the net enough as they'll try to rebound in Game 2. [/p]