Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel punches playoff ticket with OT goal over Avalanche

The Vegas Golden Knights secured their place in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 3-2 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night at Ball Arena.

Just 1:19 into the extra period, Jack Eichel scored the game-winning goal on an odd-man rush, carrying the puck end-to-end and beating Mackenzie Blackwood. The goal was Eichel’s 26th of the season and his sixth overtime game-winner as a Golden Knight, along with his 20th career game-winning goal for Vegas.

JACK EICHEL WINS IT IN @ENERGIZER OT AND CLINCHES A SPOT IN THE #STANLEYCUP PLAYOFFS!!! pic.twitter.com/oCJLka3QkG

— NHL (@NHL) April 12, 2026

Colorado opened the scoring midway through the first period with a power-play goal from Devon Toews, his third goal of the season, while Gabriel Landeskog provided a screen in front of goaltender Carter Hart. The Golden Knights answered on their own power play late in the opening frame when Mark Stone tied the game 1-1, finishing a setup involving Mitch Marner and Tomas Hertl.

Vegas took a 2-1 lead early in the second period as Pavel Dorofeyev scored his 36th goal of the season, a one-timer off a pass from Ivan Barbashev, with traffic from Brett Howden in front of Blackwood. It was Dorofeyev’s career-high 36 goals, the third-most in a single season in franchise history. The Avalanche responded later in the period when Nick Blankenburg scored his first goal with the team, tying the game 2-2.

The third period remained scoreless, with both teams generating chances before the Golden Knights tightened defensively to force overtime. Hart finished with 30 saves on 32 shots to help keep the game level heading into extra time, while Blackwood recorded 26 saves for Colorado.

With the win, the Vegas clinched a playoff spot for the eighth time in nine seasons and secured its fourth consecutive postseason appearance. The Golden Knights also moved into first place in the Pacific Division, sitting one point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers and two points ahead of the Anaheim Ducks.

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