The Vegas Golden Knights needed a mere two points against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. They needed those two points to clinch their eighth Stanley Cup playoff berth in nine seasons, continuing their incredible expansion run. The good news? The Avalanche have already clinched the President's Trophy, so there isn't much incentive to play for anything.
The bad news? It's still the Avalanche, who've been dominant all season. Would that all matter as the Golden Knights look for another playoff berth in light of a horrible season?
Well... they got one point. In fact, Jack Eichel got them two with an overtime winner. The Golden Knights got that eighth Stanley Cup playoff spot as they defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 3-2.
The Vegas Golden Knights also got goals from Mark Stone and Pavel Dorofeyev. The Avalanche got goals from Devon Toews and Nick Blankenburg. But those goals weren't the main things that stood out during the contest.
What stood out in the game was the special teams for both sides. Each team had a power play goal and combined for seven penalties, making this a battle of which special teams unit would crack first.
With that, let's look at some positives for the Golden Knights on national television on a Saturday. That includes some great goaltending and a goal-scorer rediscovering his scoring touch.
Pavel Dorofeyev finally wakes up for the Vegas Golden Knights
Pavel Dorofeyev is well-known for his snipes, especially on the power play. He's harbored a reputation (pay him) as the team's go-to goal scorer, making him the team's most dangerous offensive weapon. But there's been a small problem in recent weeks: he hasn't scored much.
In fact, he's only had one goal since March 14 entering Saturday's game. However, he finally got on the board with this beautiful snipe.
Pavel Dorofeyev with a perfectly placed shot from the left circle. That’s his 36th on the season and it’s a new career high!
— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 12, 2026
2-1, Golden Knights
pic.twitter.com/L1NvjoHlaU
Bingo bango. That's one way to get off the snide.
If Dorofeyev can take some notes from Mark Stone (who also added a goal tonight, by the way), that's great news for Vegas. They'll get depth scoring that could set them up for a deep playoff run, especially if coupled with a revitalized goaltending unit.
It's looking like Carter Hart is John Tortorella's preferred goaltender
Adin Hill has been abysmal throughout the 2025-26 season, posting a GAA of 3.04 and a save percentage of .871. Carter Hart had yet another good game that included a nasty glove save on Valeri Nichuskin and a big third-period stop on Nathan MacKinnon.
Overall, the goaltender turned in another solid performance, stopping 30 of 32 shots. He looked comfortable in net, taking away space and smoothly moving around the crease.
It's becoming more clear who Tortorella should stick with in net for the season's remainder. Sure, Hill had a good game against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday. However, he had one fatal error that essentially cost the Golden Knights that game. While Hart hasn't been perfect either, he's looking like a more reliable alternative to the former Stanley Cup hero.