Golden Knights’ depth rings true in G1 OT win
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Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter
LAS VEGAS — Brett Howden‘s game-winning goal less than two minutes into overtime gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 4-3 win Friday night against the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
The sequence that led to the Golden Knights taking a 1-0 series lead was just as quick as overtime itself.
Chandler Stephenson carried possession into the Stars’ zone before playing a centering pass to Mark Stone. He then fed an instant backhanded pass to Howden, who was left alone at the net front. Howden’s initial shot went wide, but he recovered the rebound off the boards and fired a shot beneath the goal line that he banked off Jake Oettinger for the win.
“I just tried throwing it in there and got lucky that it went in,” Howden said. “I think Oettinger put it in himself. I was just trying to throw it in there and see what would happen.”
Howden’s goal is the latest in a narrative that has come to define the Golden Knights during these playoffs: They’re a team that can get goals from their entire lineup. The Golden Knights have had 14 different players score goals these playoffs, equaling the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers (the Stars lead the way with 15).
Stars winger Jason Robertson, who did not score in the second round against the Seattle Kraken, staked his team to a 1-0 lead with less than 90 seconds remaining in the first period from a deflection off a shot from Roope Hintz.
Golden Knights center William Karlsson tied it at 1 in the second period before giving the Golden Knights a 2-1 lead just 1:19 into the third period. Both of Karlsson’s goals were a byproduct of his constant movement. Karlsson carried the puck into the Stars zone and played a pass to Zach Whitecloud. Karlsson kept skating and was able to get to the net front right as Whitecloud’s shot went off the boards with Karlsson there to collect the rebound and fire it into an open net.
His second goal was the result of a blocked shot that led to a 50-50 puck that Karlsson snagged before creating a little bit of separation before firing off a wrister that beat Oettinger for the lead.
“Well, the first goal, I kind of got lucky, I’d say,” Karlsson said. “I’m sure Whitey was trying to put that one on the net. I just wanted to be first for the possible rebound, but it went behind the net instead and perfectly to me. On the second one, I was just kind of backing up and trying to play safe and there was a chance for me to grab the puck. It’s hard to explain but I try to be in the right place and that pays off sometimes.”
Hintz, who had a hand in all three of the Stars’ goals, tied it at 2 before Teddy Blueger scored what looked like the initial game-winning goal with a little more than 10 minutes left in the third period.
Blueger’s goal was his first of the postseason and just his second career playoff tally. But it came at a time that allowed the Golden Knights to take what was ultimately a temporary edge from another source of offensive production.
“I think we have good depth at all positions — goaltending, defense, forwards,” Blueger said. “I think whoever is in the lineup can do the job. That’s probably what it is.”
Blueger’s goal also led to a late push by the Stars. Vegas controlled most of the possession in the game with a shot-share of more than 71 percent in the first period, followed by 55.6 percent in the second in 5-on-5 play, according to Natural Stat Trick. Dallas countered by owning the puck with a 63.4 percent shot-share, which played a significant role in why the Stars had 16 shots in the third compared to the Golden Knights with eight.
Creating and maintaining that level of pressure resulted in the Stars pulling Oettinger for a 6-on-5 advantage that set the stage for captain Jamie Benn‘s game-tying goal. Benn, along with Joe Pavelski and Hintz, were camped at the net front when Miro Heiskanen‘s shot from the point reached Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill to create a scramble on net.
Hintz and Pavelski fought for possession with Pavelski sliding the puck over to Benn, who passed it into the net with 1:59 left in the third. And while Benn’s goal did tie the score, it also represented something else.
Namely? How these playoffs have seen Hintz go from one of the Stars’ most open secrets into a player who has become a front-runner for the Conn Smythe Trophy.
This was the sixth time Hintz finished with more than two points in a game, and he’s had more than three points in five of those performances. It’s why Hintz will enter Game 2 leading the NHL with 22 points in the playoffs. Panthers star winger Matthew Tkachuk would be the closest player of those still playing and he’s trailing Hintz by five points.
With Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Thursday between the Panthers and Hurricanes going to four overtimes, there was some expectation that the Stars and Golden Knights could possibly create another lengthy battle Friday.
Instead, Howden ended it early.
“It can’t always be the stars, right? Or the guys that you would expect, and that’s what’s been good about our team,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We’ve had different people step up in key moments. It’s the time of the year where you got to enjoy the moment and kind of embrace it. Raise your hand if you had Howden in your pool in overtime? You probably went in a different direction and that’s good for us. That’s why we’ve been able to win.”
Taking Game 1 has not been a necessity for the Golden Knights. They lost 5-1 to open the first round against the Winnipeg Jets before winning in six. But they did win Game 1 versus the Edmonton Oilers before clinching that series in six wins.
Yet here’s why beating the Stars in Game 1’s this postseason comes with a rather intriguing caveat. The Minnesota Wild beat the Stars in overtime to open their first-round series. The Kraken also beat the Stars in overtime to open their second-round series.
Guess how that turned out for the Wild and Kraken? The Stars beat the Wild in six games before ending the upstart Kraken’s season in seven games.
“The good news is that the other two ended the right way,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said when asked about losing a third straight series in overtime. “That’s what we’ll hope for, but you got to win some overtime games too in the playoffs. You can’t go 0-for-3, 0-for-4 in the playoffs in overtime. That’s something we’ve got to get fixed quickly.”
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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