The Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks are locked in a taut Western Conference semifinal, and if the first five games are any indication, this series deserves—and should get—a decisive Game 7. The Ducks host the Golden Knights in Game 6 on Thursday night at 9:30 ET, facing elimination for the first time in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs. A win forces a winner-take-all showdown back in Las Vegas on Saturday, with the Colorado Avalanche waiting for the victor.
This has been a back-and-forth thriller, with neither team able to string together consecutive wins. The Golden Knights seized a 3-2 series lead with a 3-2 overtime victory in Las Vegas on Tuesday—the first OT game of the series. Pavel Dorofeyev was the hero, scoring Vegas’ first goal of the night and then the game-winner at 4:10 of the extra period. He leads the club with seven goals this postseason after pacing the team with 37 during the regular season.
Jack Eichel continues to shine, dishing out two assists—including on the winner—and now leads the NHL with 14 helpers this postseason. He also has six assists on game-tying goals, and his 11 assists on tying goals since his 2023 playoff debut trail only Connor McDavid. Eichel’s career mark of 0.92 assists per playoff game (over 51 games) ranks fourth all-time among players with at least 15 postseason appearances. He can make history Thursday: with three straight multi-assist games, he’d become the first player in franchise history and just the sixth American to achieve that feat in the playoffs. He’s listed at +300 to record at least two assists.
The win was Vegas’ 27th one-goal playoff victory since their inaugural 2017-18 season—the second-most in the league. It also marked their third consecutive OT win this postseason (following Games 4 and 5 of Round 1 against Utah), tying the longest such streak in team history. The Knights dominated the extra frame, outshooting Anaheim 5-0.
History favors Vegas: they are 5-0 when taking Game 5 of a 2-2 series, closing out each in Game 6—including in the first round against the Mammoth. Overall, the Golden Knights are 6-3 in Game 6 when leading a series 3-2, with a 5-2 record on the road.
The Ducks, meanwhile, will look to channel the energy of a raucous home crowd and force a Game 7. With both teams trading blows all series, Thursday promises another tightly contested battle. If the pattern holds, hockey fans could be treated to one more do-or-die showdown in Sin City.