HIGHLIGHTS:
WINNIPEG – The Vegas Golden Knights added to their history-making season by defeating the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 in Game 5 of their Western Conference Semifinals series, advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.
The victory sees Vegas become the first expansion team to advance to the championship round for the first time since the 1968 St. Louis Blues.
“It’s great to win tonight is great to be the Western Conference Champions, but that’s not what we are here for,” Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant said.
Alex Tuch got Vegas on the scoreboard first at the 5:11 mark of the opening period when he took the feed from Ryan Carpenter and placed the puck past Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. Josh Morrissey knotted the score at one goal apiece just before the first period ended with a shot that beat Vegas goalie Marc Andre-Fleury.
The second period saw the game-winning goal come off the stick of Ryan Reaves and it silenced the MTS Centre. The final period would see neither team light the lamp but the Jets would send 32 shots in total towards the Vegas net.
Fleury made 31 saves on the night, while Hellebuyck made 30 saves. For Vegas, it would be another check off the list in a historic season that sees the club four wins away from a championship in their first season.
“We are not satisfied,” Gallant said.
