The Dallas Stars live to play hockey another day, as Joe Pavelski hammered home the overtime winner on a power play to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4, 3-2.
Facing a potential sweep on home ice, and the third overtime game of this series, the Stars responded just the way the home crowd wanted to see when a power play was awarded to the Stars just a couple minutes in to the overtime period.
Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill somehow managed to save a Grade-A chance from Roope Hintz, but the Stars were able to recover the puck in the zone and send it back up top to Miro Heiskanen.
Jason Robertson #21 of the Dallas Stars celebrates a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period in Game Four of the Western Conference Final of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 25, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
That’s when he slid it over to Pavelski, who rocketed a one-timer past Hill’s left shoulder and the Dallas crowd went ballistic.
With the goal, Pavelski sent the series back to Vegas for Game 5, where the Golden Knights still have the opportunity to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in franchise history – their first came in their inaugural season.
Dallas wouldn’t have been in this position, though, without the game from their young star, Jason Robertson.
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Vegas’ William Karlsson was first to find the back of the net in this game after Reilly Smith found him on a cross-ice feed in the Stars’ zone. But the Stars weren’t leaving the first period without responding.
It was Robertson finding his fifth goal of the playoffs on a power play, assisted by Heiskanen and Hintz. Robertson managed to get the rare triple-tip in front of the net, as he juggled the puck around Hill and managed to bat it into the twine to tie the game.
Adin Hill #33 of the Vegas Golden Knights blocks a shot by Fredrik Olofsson #42 of the Dallas Stars during the third period in Game Four of the Western Conference Final of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 25, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
But it wouldn’t be Robertson’s last goal of this elimination game for the Stars either.
After Jonathan Marchessault got the lead back for Vegas at 10:23 in the second period, Robertson once again got a puck off the end boards and got his stick to the puck before Golden Knights’ defenseman Alec Martinez could get in front of it with goalie Adin Hill completely out of his crease.
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Robertson backhanded it into the net and the second period ended with the scoreboard deadlocked at two goals apiece.
The third period saw great chances for both squads, but neither could find the back of the net, especially in the final two minutes when things got extremely suspenseful on the ice.
Joe Pavelski #16 of the Dallas Stars celebrates with teammates after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Four of the Western Conference Final of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 25, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
Game 5 of the series will see puck drop on Saturday in Las Vegas at 8 p.m. ET.
