The Vegas Golden Knights are now one win away from advancing to Round 2, and at the heart of their Game 5 victory was Jack Eichel, who didn’t just help his team but also etched his name alongside some of hockey’s all-time greats.
Vegas grabbed a 5-4 double-overtime win over the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday night, taking a 3-2 lead in their first-round playoff series. It was a chaotic, back-and-forth contest, but Eichel’s playmaking proved to be a difference-maker.
Jack Eichel Joins Elite Company
With two assists in Game 5, Eichel reached 40 career playoff assists in just 47 games, making him the fastest American-born player in NHL history to hit that mark. He passed Hall of Famer Brian Leetch, who previously held the record at 48 games.
The milestone also places Eichel in rare company. Only a handful of legends have reached 40 assists quicker: Bobby Orr (44 games), Connor McDavid (42), and Wayne Gretzky, who still sits far ahead of the pack at just 27 games, with a few others in between.
Eichel has been in top form throughout the series, recording eight points (one goal, seven assists) in five games, consistently driving Vegas’s offense.
Game 5 itself was anything but straightforward. Utah showed resilience all night, grabbing multiple leads and pushing Vegas to the brink.
Pavel Dorofeyev was the standout scorer for the Golden Knights, netting a hat trick. He opened his account on the power play in the first period, added another to tie the game in the second, and then delivered a clutch equalizer late in the third period to force overtime.
Utah, however, refused to fade. Goals from Lawson Crouse, Dylan Guenther, and Michael Carcone helped them build a 4-3 lead midway through the third, putting serious pressure on Vegas.
But Dorofeyev’s late goal changed everything. After a scoreless first overtime period, the game finally ended in dramatic fashion when Brett Howden scored a rare short-handed goal 5:28 into double overtime, sealing the win for Vegas.
After the game, Eichel was quick to credit Dorofeyev’s performance. “Obviously, when you’re out there with (Dorofeyev), and he’s prepared to shoot, you’re trying to find him,” Eichel said. “It’s awesome to see him find the back of the net a few times. It seems like he’s been playing his best these last few nights. Great to see him get rewarded.”
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With momentum on their side, the Golden Knights now head to Salt Lake City for Game 6 on Friday.
