Pavel Dorofeyev ended it at 4:10 of overtime.
The Vegas Golden Knights beat the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 of the Western Conference Second Round on 14 May 2026, taking the series 4-2 and booking their place in the Western Conference Finals.
Regulation did not produce a winner. Sixty minutes of hockey between two Western Conference playoff sides, and neither separated themselves. Overtime was needed. When Dorofeyev got to the puck at 4:10, he finished, and the series was done.
What Happened
The Ducks had pushed this series to six games. Anaheim came in as the lower seed, and making a Conference Finalist work across six games is not a minor achievement for a franchise that has been building for several years. Their willingness to compete through the first round and into the second showed the rebuild is producing results.
Vegas are a different proposition. The Golden Knights are built for playoff hockey, structured defensively, experienced at this stage, capable of producing timely scoring from throughout their roster. Dorofeyev’s overtime strike was the kind of moment a deep playoff run needs: a player who is not the headline name delivering when the moment is largest.
What It Means
For the Golden Knights, the Western Conference Finals is the next destination. Opponents will be confirmed once the other Western bracket resolves. Vegas are now three wins from a Stanley Cup Finals appearance.
For Anaheim, elimination at the Conference Second Round is the end of a campaign that exceeded many pre-season expectations. The Ducks reached the playoffs, won a first-round series, and pushed a stronger opponent to six games in the second round. That is evidence of real progress from the rebuild.
Looking Ahead
Vegas prepare for the Western Conference Finals. Dorofeyev’s overtime contribution arrives at a point in the season where depth scoring wins series. The Golden Knights have that depth. When their non-headline players come up with the decisive moments, it is a sign that the roster is functioning as it should in May.
Anaheim assess a summer ahead of them. The framework is there. Whether they close the gap further next season depends on development, health, and what moves they make in the off-season.
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