LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights are one step closer to burying the Minnesota Wild in their Western Conference First Round clash. On April 29, Brett Howden played hero, rifling a shot past Minnesota’s goaltender at 4:05 of overtime to seal a 3-2 victory in Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena. The win hands Vegas a commanding 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series, with Game 6 looming in St. Paul on May 1.
The game was a gut-punch for Minnesota, who thought they’d stolen the lead late in regulation. With just over a minute left, Ryan Hartman appeared to score, sending the Wild bench into a frenzy. But Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy threw down a challenge, and the refs, after a tense review, called it back for offside. The crowd roared, and the Golden Knights stayed alive, setting the stage for Howden’s overtime dagger.
Vegas struck first in the opening period. William Karlsson, shorthanded, darted through the neutral zone and snapped a shot past Minnesota’s netminder at 8:25, giving the Knights a 1-0 edge. The Wild answered in the second, knotting things up when Kirill Kaprizov buried a rebound. But Vegas captain Mark Stone restored the lead in the third, blasting a one-timer from the blue line at 13:24 that screamed through a screen and into the net.
Minnesota refused to fold. They clawed back, tying the game at 2-2, and nearly stole it with Hartman’s disallowed goal. In overtime, though, Vegas took control. Howden, a gritty center not known for flashy plays, found space and fired, ending the night and sending the T-Mobile Arena faithful into a beer-spilling uproar.
The series now shifts to Minnesota, where the Wild face a do-or-die battle on their home ice. Vegas, riding momentum from back-to-back overtime wins, needs one more to advance. The Golden Knights won Game 4 in similar fashion, a 4-3 OT nail-biter on April 26. Game 6 is set for Thursday, with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. ET.