Chandler Stephenson’s OT goal gives Knights 2-0 series lead on Stars

Chandler Stephenson scored on a rebound 1:12 into overtime to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals on Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas

Stephenson’s seventh goal of the playoffs came after Shea Theodore fired a shot from the right circle that Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger made a pad save on. However, the rebound went to the left side of the crease where Stephenson shoveled it into an open net for the game-winner.

Jonathan Marchessault scored with 2:22 left in regulation to force the overtime for Vegas, which now leads the best-of-seven series 2-0. Game 3 is Tuesday night in Dallas.

Mark Stone, Marchessault and Stephenson each finished with a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights, who improved to 3-0 in overtime games in the playoffs. Adin Hill made 26 saves to improve to 5-1-0 in playoffs

Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen scored goals and Ryan Suter had two assists for Dallas, which fell to 0-4 in overtime games in the playoffs. Oettinger finished with 21 saves.

Dallas jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 2:47 mark of the first period when Heiskanen fired a wrist shot from the top of the right circle that caromed high off the stick of Vegas defenseman Theodore and up and over the right shoulder of Hill into the net for his first playoff goal of the season.

Vegas tied it midway through the period with a 5-on-3 power-play goal by Stone after Joel Hanley was called for interference and Thomas Harley picked up a tripping penalty on Jack Eichel on the same play.

The goal came when Stephenson’s crossing pass from the bottom of the right circle ricocheted off the skate of Esa Lindell to Stone alone in front of the crease. Stone then slid the puck between Oettinger’s pads for his sixth goal of the playoffs.

Dallas regained the lead 2-1 at the 9:21 mark of the second period on a power-play goal by Robertson, who tapped in a rebound of a Evgenii Dadonov point shot into the top left corner of the net. It was Robertson’s fourth goal of the playoffs.

Vegas tied it at the 17:38 mark of the third period when Ivan Barbashev intercepted a Ryan Suter clearing pass along the left boards and then passed to Eichel behind the goal. Eichel backhanded a pass to Marchessault cutting down the slot where he fired a wrist shot into the top right corner of the net for his sixth goal of the playoffs.

–Field Level Media