Theodore's overtime goal lifts
Golden Knights to 5-4 win over Mammoth; series tied 2-all
[April 28, 2026]
By JOHN COON
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Shea Theodore scored on a snap shot from the
high slot with 51.5 seconds left in overtime and the Vegas Golden
Knights beat the Utah Mammoth 5-4 on Monday night after squandering
a three-goal lead, tying their first-round playoff series at two
games apiece.
“We just didn’t quit,” Theodore said.
Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday night in Las Vegas.
The Golden Knights appeared to have won the game earlier in OT when
Pavel Dorofeyev tapped in a loose puck with 9:41 left, but the
apparent score was waved off when it was determined Vegas was
offside.
“It was good we never stopped,” Theodore said. “It sucks that one
got called back, but it was good to get it done.”
Vegas’ Brett Howden scored his second goal of the game on a tip-in
with 9:35 remaining in the third period, and that forced overtime
after Utah had stormed back with four straight goals.
“I liked the way we responded in the third after they scored,”
Howden said. “We stuck with it.”
The Golden Knights raced out to a 3-0 lead with two goals in the
first and one early in the second by Dorofeyev, Howden and Cole
Smith.
Utah countered with four straight scores, capped by Clayton Keller’s
wrist shot off a deflection for a 4-3 lead at the 5:10 mark of the
third period.
“I’m proud of the way our guys responded to adversity,” Utah coach
Andre Tourigny said. “It was a hard-fought game. We know how good
they can be and I think we responded well in the second half of the
game.”
Utah’s Karel Vejmelka stopped 31 shots. Carter Hart made 29 saves
for Vegas.
[to top of second column] |
Vegas Golden Knights Brayden McNabb, right, celebrates with Shea
Theodore, left, who scored the winning goal during the overtime
period of Game 4 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff
series against the Utah Mammoth, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Salt
Lake City. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)
Facing a three-goal deficit, Utah’s Nick Schmaltz
and Ian Cole scored 29 seconds apart in the second period to set the
Mammoth’s comeback in motion. Schmaltz got Utah on the board at the
8:04 mark, and Cole followed with a 50-foot slap shot at 8:33 of the
second.
Michael Carcone tied it on another slap shot at 1:44 of the third.
Dorofeyev flicked home a wrist shot to put the Golden Knights in
front just 72 seconds into the first. Howden then threaded another
wrist shot past Vejmelka’s skate for a short-handed goal with 1:22
left in the period.
Smith’s tip-in at 3:27 of the second gave the Golden Knights their
third goal.
“We started really well, lost ourselves for a bit,” Vegas coach John
Tortorella said. “Momentum swung to their side, but we hung in
there.”
Utah fell behind early after struggling to create scoring chances
during the first period. The Mammoth tallied three shots on goal
over the first 20 minutes. Only one came outside of a power play.
Vegas allowed 30 shots on goal over the final two regulation periods
and overtime.
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