In a hard-fought battle, the Vegas Golden Knights extended their lead in the first-round series against the Dallas Stars, claiming a 3-1 victory on Wednesday night. Noah Hanifin, one of Vegas’s key trade-deadline acquisitions, broke the deadlock late in the second period with an unassisted goal, propelling the Golden Knights to a 2-0 advantage. Jonathan Marchessault continued his impressive playoff performance, netting his second goal of the series and setting a franchise record of 36 career postseason goals. Jack Eichel, who assisted on Marchessault’s goal, added an empty-netter to seal the victory.
The Stars, who came out intent on setting a physical tone after losing the series opener 4-3, took an early lead with a power-play goal from Jason Robertson. However, the Golden Knights responded swiftly, tying the game before the end of the first period on a goal from Marchessault.
Despite a spirited effort from the Stars, they were unable to overcome the Golden Knights’ resilience. Hanifin’s go-ahead goal came after Stars defenseman Esa Lindell blocked two consecutive shots. Logan Thompson, making his second career playoff start, made 20 saves to secure the victory.
Game 3 of the series shifts to Las Vegas on Saturday night, where the Golden Knights will aim to extend their lead and move closer to advancing to the second round. The Stars, on the other hand, will be determined to turn the tide and avoid falling into a 0-3 deficit.
