Dostal's 22 Saves Carry Ducks Past Knights 3-1, Series Heading Back to Anaheim Tied

Lukas Dostal turned in a masterclass Wednesday night in Las Vegas, stopping 22 shots as the Anaheim Ducks evened their Western Conference second-round playoff series with the Vegas Golden Knights at one game apiece with a 3-1 victory. After dropping Game 1, the Ducks are heading home for Games 3 and 4 with momentum firmly on their side.

Ducks' Power Play Still Ice Cold

Here's what's gnawing at Anaheim though: they still haven't scored on the power play against Vegas. The Ducks came into this series absolutely lights out with the extra man, converting on eight of 16 chances against Edmonton in the first round. But against the Golden Knights? They're 0-for-9, and that's a problem that needs fixing fast if they want to advance.

Vegas did everything right early, killing off eight minutes of penalties in a scoreless opening period. They even survived a 5-on-3 situation after Jack Eichel picked up a four-minute double minor for high-sticking Mikael Granlund. But the Ducks' even-strength game was sharp enough to get the job done Wednesday.

Sennecke, Carlsson, and Harkins Do the Damage

Beckett Sennecke opened the scoring midway through the second period on his second goal of the playoffs, with Jeffrey Viel setting up the play after stealing the puck from Vegas defenseman Kaedan Korczak behind the net. The Calder Trophy finalist and regular-season 23-goal scorer chipped it past Carter Hart's glove side for a 1-0 lead.

Leo Carlsson made it 2-0 early in the third when Troy Terry found him alone at the backdoor with a crossing pass. Carlsson roofed a wrist shot past Hart to extend the lead. Vegas pulled their goalie with four minutes left, and Jansen Harkins sealed it with an empty-netter thirty seconds later, his first goal since New Year's Eve against Tampa Bay.

Mark Stone got Vegas on the board with just 5.6 seconds remaining, redirecting an Eichel shot for his third playoff goal, but it was too little too late. Carter Hart finished with 25 saves in the losing effort, but Dostal's performance was the story.

The series shifts to Anaheim for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday. The Ducks need to figure out that power play fast.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.