NHL PLAYOFFS

KNIGHTS PULL LEVEL WITH MAMMOTH ON SHEA THEODORE’S OT GOAL

Shea Theodore scored with 52 seconds remaining in overtime, giving the Vegas Golden Knights a 5-4 win over the Utah Mammoth in Game 4 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series on Monday in Salt Lake City.

The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2, as the Knights rebounded after losing the previous two games and squandering a 3-0 lead on Monday to fall behind 4-3. Game 5 is set for Wednesday in Las Vegas.

As double overtime approached, a broken play in front of the Utah net left goalie Karel Vejmelka without a stick. The puck was quickly moved in front to Theodore, and the defenseman buried the shot for the first playoff OT goal in his 11 NHL seasons.

Brett Howden had two goals and an assist for Vegas, and Jack Eichel had three assists. Noah Hanifin had two assists, and Cole Smith and Pavel Dorofeyev scored the other Vegas goals.

Carter Hart stopped 27 of 31 shots to earn his second win of the playoffs.

Mikhail Sergachev had three assists for the Mammoth, and Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist. Clayton Keller, Ian Cole and Michael Carcone contributed Utah’s other goals.

Vejmelka stopped 31 of 36 shots.

Dorfeyev and Howden bookended the first period with their first goals of the playoffs, beginning with Dorfeyev’s tally just 1:12 into the game. During a Mammoth power play at the 18:38 mark, a Mitch Marner takeaway set up Howden for the short-handed goal.

At 3:26 of the second period, Smith slickly redirected Hanifin’s point shot to give Vegas a 3-0 lead.

Just when the Golden Knights seemed to be in full command, the Mammoth responded with two goals in 29 seconds.

Schmaltz started the comeback at the 8:04 mark of the middle frame by converting his own rebound. Cole then added the quick follow-up with a long-range shot that deflected off the post and into the Knights’ net.

Carcone scored the equalizer on a one-timer from the right circle 1:45 into the third period, and Keller gave Utah its first lead on a deflected goal 5:10 into the third frame. It was then the Knights’ turn to equalize on a Howden tip-in at the 10:25 mark.

PENGUINS EXTEND SERIES AGAIN WITH 3-2 WIN OVER FLYERS IN GAME 5

Kris Letang’s fluky go-ahead goal late in the second period proved to be the difference as the Pittsburgh Penguins posted a 3-2 home victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.

Sidney Crosby had two assists for Pittsburgh despite missing some action after taking a shot off his leg in the second period. Arturs Silovs turned aside 18 shots for the Penguins, including a quality pad save on Porter Martone in the final minute, to help the hosts stay alive in the best-of-seven series.

Dan Vladar made 18 saves for the Flyers, who will get a third chance to win the series Wednesday when the teams reconvene in Philadelphia for Game 6. Alex Bump scored for the visitors in his first career playoff game, while Travis Sanheim also tallied for the Flyers.

Elmer Soderblom’s goal was the only tally of the first period. Just under three minutes into the contest, Anthony Mantha won a battle behind the net and sent the puck into the slot for Soderblom, who launched a one-timer past Vladar.

Early in the second, Connor Dewar beat Vladar with a wrister to make it 2-0 Pittsburgh, although Bump scored 12 seconds later to bring Philadelphia back within a goal.

The score remained 2-1 until the Flyers tied it with 4:54 left in the second period. Sanheim took a seemingly innocent shot from near the boards that skimmed off the stick of Pittsburgh defenseman Erik Karlsson and past a helpless Silovs.

Letang gave Pittsburgh the lead just over two minutes later, following another apparently harmless shot that found its way into the net.

The veteran defenseman lofted the puck from the right point, and the floater went past Vladar’s glove. The puck then bounced off the end boards, caromed back in front, got lost in Vladar’s skates and slid into the goal.

Vladar kept the game close with a sprawling pad save on Rust in the opening minute of the third period.

Philadelphia pressured throughout the final session and had a couple of chances down the stretch with Vladar pulled for an extra skater, but Silovs and the Penguins held firm.

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