Vegas Golden Knights forwards Jack Eichel and Mark Stone finally introduced themselves into the series in Game 5, but the true headliner was video assistant coach Dave Rogowski detecting a possible offside on a Minnesota Wild goal.

With just over a minute remaining in regulation, Ryan Hartman went in on a rush, beating Alex Pietrangelo and Ivan Barbashev to score the go-ahead goal. The NHL immediately reviewed the goal for a kicking motion but determined there was no kick. The time it took to review the goal allowed Rogowski and the Golden Knights to determine it was worth a shot to challenge the goal for offside.

Fortunately for the Golden Knights, Gustav Nyquist entered the zone a fraction too early, causing the goal to be erased and allowing the game to head to overtime. Brett Howden scored his third of the series 4:05 into the overtime frame to give the Golden Knights a 3-2 series lead. 

Following the game, all the talk was about Rogowski. 

"He's looking at it, he shows you one angle and says you should challenge it. He gives us a recommendation of percentage-wise," said HC Bruce Cassidy. "I mean, there's a minute left in the game, you're probably going to challenge no matter how close it is unless it's blatantly onside... It was a great pickup by him and it saved our ass."

The nerves were high on the bench after the Wild thought they had scored, as it appeared the Golden Knights would be heading back to Minnesota for Game 6 with their season on the line. Similarly, to every player or coach, the process quickly began for Rogowski after the goal was scored. 

"Our video coach, Rogo, he's looking at probably both things, but then he realizes they're going to look at the kicking motion," said Cassidy. "That's a league rule. There are certain things that get looked at no matter what. So now he's looking at if there's goaltender interference and then goes back to the offside."

If the Golden Knights had lost the challenge, they would have been given a minor penalty, likely diminishing any possibility of mounting a comeback. Everyone on the staff agreed that it was that the probability of the goal being called back was 100%. 

Stanley Cups aren't won because of one player or person in the organization. It's a group effort that requires every person to do their job to the best of their ability. The Golden Knights displayed that perfectly in their Tuesday night Game 5 victory. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

Golden Knights Beat Minnesota, 3-2, In Wild Overtime Finish To Take 3-2 Series LeadLAS VEGAS -- Brett Howden scored his third goal of the playoffs 4:05 into overtime to lift the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild, and a 3-2 series lead in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs.L Wild Backup Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury Returns To The Net Against Golden Knights, Loses In OvertimeLAS VEGAS -- Minnesota backup goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury returned the ice at T-Mobile Arena to oppose the Golden Knights, as Wild starting goalie Filip Gustavsson didn't return to the game due to illness, per the team.

This past season was one to remember for the Columbus Blue Jackets. They fell just short of a playoff spot, but in the face of adversity, they battled hard and had the entire hockey world pulling for them.

There was a lot to like. Zach Werenski is finally getting the recognition he deserves, landing as a finalist for the Norris Trophy. Both Kirill Marchenko and Adam Fantilli accomplished something that hadn’t been done in Columbus since 2015-16—each hit the 30-goal mark and had dominant seasons.

Fantilli & Marchenko Achieve Rare Feat Not Seen Since 2015-16When Adam Fantilli scored his 30th goal of the season the other night, it was a feat of its own. It was his first time hitting the 30-goal mark and only the ninth time a player has done so in Columbus Blue Jackets history — the 17th occurrence overall.

The Blue Jackets also had a record-tying five players hit 20 goals this year. Werenski, Fantilli, and Marchenko were joined by Kent Johnson and Dmitri Voronkov in reaching that mark.

They were just one goal away from making it six, but Sean Monahan missed time due to injury and finished the season with 19.

Regardless, it’s another sign of progress in what turned out to be a fun and challenging season in Columbus.

Columbus Blue Jackets Prospect Luca Marrelli Ties 59 Year Old Oshawa RecordColumbus Blue Jackets draft pick Luca Marrelli tied a record last night for the Oshawa Generals. One that has stood for 59 years.  2025 NHL Draft Lottery Odds/Date Set The NHL has announced that the NHL Draft Lottery will be on May 5th at the NHL Network’s Secaucus, N.J., studio. 

Tampa Bay Lightning look to crawl back into series with Florida Panthers after falling into 3-1 series hole

The Battle of Florida may be headed for an earlier than expected close as the Panthers have taken a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Lightning heading back to Tampa Bay. 

The Bolts will need to make adjustments if they want to stay alive in the series and will get the advantage of Florida's Aaron Ekblad being suspended for two games after elbowing Tampa's Brandon Hagel. 

For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 30-15 record on our last 45 picks, including perfect records during Game 1 and 4 of the Maple Leafs-Senators series. 

All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

More NHL: Battle of Ontario Betting Guide: Best Bets, Strategies and Futures for Maple Leafs versus Senators

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers Best Bets:

• Lightning ML (-114) 
• Under 5.5 goals (-108)
• Nikita Kucherov anytime goal (+160)
• Brayden Point Over 0.5 points (-178)

Scoring hasn't been an issue in this series with the six or more goals in three of the four games so far. Tampa goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has been roughed up at times with six goals allowed in game one and three allowed in game four. 

He will need to be great if the Bolts want to edge this one out and that's why I'm calling for an unexpected under game. The Lightning will play a classic playoff shutdown games where teams on the brink of elimination allowed very few goals like the Senators shutting out the Maple Leafs in game five this past Tuesday. 

More NHL:New Leak Reveals Utah Hockey Club New Team Name

Tampa will need to bring offence of their own and I expect it to come from the league's top point man in Nikita Kucherov. The Russian winger finished the season with 121 points and has continued his red hot play into the postseason but has yet to score in this series. 

His 37 goals this season placed him tied for 13th with Montreal's Cole Caufield and fellow Russian winger Artemi Panarin. He can score at an elite level and just hasn't yet. He is listed with best odds to score in this one at +160 and should be taken. 

His linemates Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel have benefited greatly from playing with a talent like Kucherov and have both out up solid numbers. Point has just two goals this series and I expect him to get on the board with a dish to Kucherov for his goal. 

More NHL: Where Will Vancouver Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet Go Next? 

In the end, it came down to more than just money for Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet.

The Canucks said they were prepared to make Tocchet the team’s highest-paid coach ever on a long-term extension, but the 61-year-old declined that offer on Tuesday, citing personal reasons.

As team president Jim Rutherford pointed out when he spoke to the local media on Tuesday afternoon, the Canucks have not historically been a team that hangs onto its coaches for long periods of time — even before the carousel started spinning at breakneck speed throughout the NHL over the last few years. 

Until last week, Rutherford was confident that Tocchet would return. He said Tuesday he hadn’t put much thought into a candidate list yet but expected his phone to start ringing imminently.

While he won two Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh with Mike Sullivan, who became available on Monday, Rutherford said the former assistant to John Tortorella with the Canucks is aiming to stay out east, so he’s not an option to return.

And while the goal is to get the Canucks back into contention — and convince Quinn Hughes there’s plenty of reason to stick around — extensive NHL experience is not necessarily a prerequisite for the Vancouver job.

“They have to understand that playing in Vancouver, travel can be tough at times,” Rutherford said. “Can they manage the schedule when we practise, when we travel, all those things? You have to have some experience. You have to have leadership qualities. You have to have a good structure and system that the players can lean to when they're not playing well. Those will be some of the things that we're going to look for.”

Here are two names that Rutherford said are up for consideration and some others who could fit that script.

Peter Laviolette

The 60-year-old is on the market after a brutal season with the New York Rangers. But he won a Cup under Rutherford with the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2006, so the familiarity is there.

Laviolette has spent most of his coaching career on the East Coast, but he also worked in Nashville. Would the Massachusetts native consider the white-hot spotlight of a Canadian market for the first time in his career?

Coach Rick Tocchet Explains Why He's Leaving The Vancouver CanucksVancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet decided not to return to the team for next season.

Manny Malhotra

In his first year behind the bench with the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks, Malhotra served up the hottest streak in the history of any Vancouver team affiliate down the stretch and now has his team into the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs.

A seventh-overall pick in the 1998 NHL draft who established a reputation as a responsible two-way center and faceoff ace, Malhotra played 159 of his 991 career NHL games with the Canucks. 

Malhotra also has seven years of experience as an NHL coach — three seasons under Travis Green in Vancouver, and four under Sheldon Keefe in Toronto. 

“Based on the job he did (in Abbotsford) and the experience he has in the league, he will certainly be on the short list,” Rutherford said.

Jeremy Colliton

Abbotsford’s previous bench boss is also young, articulate and collected 205 games of NHL experience with the Chicago Blackhawks when he was elevated after Joel Quenneville’s shock firing in 2018.

Looking for more opportunity at the NHL level, he signed on as Keefe’s assistant with the New Jersey Devils for 2024-25 — which means his season ended on Tuesday night.

Organizations usually won’t stand in the way of assistants interviewing for head-coaching jobs. Could Colliton return to the West Coast? And could that Devils connection possibly help untangle the knotty Hughes brothers situation that now lingers in the background of every organizational decision?

Rikard Gronborg

After guiding Sweden to back-to-back gold medals at the 2017 and 2018 World Championships, Gronborg had major momentum to become the first Swede with an NHL head-coaching job. But it didn’t happen.

Gronborg went to Switzerland, then Finland, and Anders Sorensen earned the honor when the Blackhawks tapped him as the interim replacement for Luke Richardson earlier this season.

The Canucks have had a strong Swedish connection for decades. With Patrik Allvin overseeing a crucial mission to get Elias Pettersson back to being his best self, Gronborg could help. Before joining the Canucks, Pettersson was part of that gold-winning 2018 squad at worlds.

How Bad Can It Get For The Vancouver Canucks?Imagine you’re a Vancouver Canucks fan at the end of the 2023-24 season. 

David Carle

Let’s be clear: this is a massive long shot. 

The two-time world junior gold medalist with Team USA and two-time Frozen Four champ with the University of Denver has a sparkling resume. But the 35-year-old has made it clear he’s not looking to leave the Pioneers unless it’s for an exceptional opportunity. That means solid compensation, stability for his young family and a real chance to win. 

Carle is already rumored to have turned down the Blackhawks. Even though he was born in Alaska and might appreciate the rugged geography around Vancouver, the scrutiny and criticism that comes with playing in a Canadian market is probably not especially appealing.

Two other NCAA coaches are currently carrying some buzz for NHL jobs: Pat Ferschweiler from the Frozen Four-champion Western Michigan Broncos and two-time Cup winner Jay Pandolfo, who coaches Canucks prospects Tom Willander and Aiden Celebrini in the strong Boston University program.

Jessica Campbell

When Rutherford arrived in Vancouver late in 2021, he quickly broke down gender barriers by hiring Emilie Castonguay and Cammi Granato as assistant GMs. Both are still with the team, and the Canucks’ player development and scouting has improved under Granato’s watch.

So don’t rule out the possibility that Rutherford could bring in the NHL’s first woman coach — especially after seeing Campbell work her magic against his team as an assistant with the Seattle Kraken this season.

The Kraken are also coach-hunting after cutting ties with Dan Bylsma, so that could be a more natural fit. But don’t rule out the prospect of Campbell interviewing in Vancouver.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Heartbreak. One word to describe Game 5's emotions for the Minnesota Wild. A game that they played very well in, ends in total heartbreak. 

"There's highs and lows always, and we're a couple inches away from this game being over," Wild defenseman Brock Faber said. 

In a 2-1 game in the third period that Marc-Andre Fleury led the Wild on the ice for with Filip Gustavsson going down with a sickness, the Wild were able to tie the game off the stick of Matt Boldy. 

It was Boldy's fifth goal of the playoffs which puts him in a tie with Kirill Kaprizov, Nathan MacKinnon and Andrei Svechnikov for the NHL's playoff lead in goals. 

With 1:20 left on the clock in the third period of a 2-2 game, Ryan Hartman entered the zone before taking it hard to the net to beat Adin Hill. Hartman went from his backhand to his forehand and chipped it over Hill's glove after it hit his own leg and in. 

RYAN HARTMAN GIVES MINNESOTA THE LEAD WITH 1 MINUTE LEFT AND HITS THE RUNNING MAN CELLY 🏃‍♂️‍➡️ pic.twitter.com/ONEe2bTETX

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 30, 2025

The NHL decided to review it for a kicking motion. After a long review, it was determined to be a good goal. 

During the review by the NHL for a kicking motion, the Vegas Golden Knights had all the time in the world to see if there was anything they could challenge. 

There was. 

Wild forward Gustav Nyquist was offsides. After review the play was called back for offsides and the game went into overtime. 

Vegas went on to win it in overtime just under five minutes in. 

Ryan Hartman's potential game-winner comes off the board after a successful Vegas offside challenge#mnwild | #VegasBornpic.twitter.com/LBBTxfdaQJ

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 30, 2025

"Inches, right?" Fleury said on the turn of events. 

There isn't much to say after a game like this but the Wild held their heads high knowing they have played five great games in this series. They have dropped two straight in overtime after taking a 2-1 series lead after three games. 

When asked about breaking down the game-winning goal by Vegas, Wild head coach John Hynes didn't want to throw anyone under the bus. 

"Yeah, I thought we battled hard tonight," Hynes said. "It was a tight game but it's all about moving on to Game 6 now."

A lot of the time when the fourth line is on the ice for Minnesota, the third defense pair is also on the ice at the same time. It was Justin Brazeau and Yakov Trenin's fourth shift each since the second period. 

It started when Marco Rossi was out-battled along the boards by Tanner Pearson. The puck rimmed up the wall to Nicolas Hague who sent it back down to Pearson. Hague was defended by Brazeau who went for the hit instead of going for the puck or trying to deflect it.

Zach Bogosian then mishandled the puck on the boards when Hague sent it down to Pearson. 

Pearson regathered the puck, with neither Bogosian or Rossi on him, and sent it to the slot where Brett Howden was somehow left all alone. 

Trenin was covering the far point where Alex Pietrangelo was standing. Jon Merrill, who entered the lineup because the Wild did not trust Zeev Buium in overtime in Game 4 and gave him zero shifts, was standing at the high circles covering no one. 

BRETT HOWDEN OVERTIME WINNER 🤩

VEGAS TAKES THIS ONE IN @ENERGIZER OT AND ARE ONE WIN AWAY FROM ADVANCING! #StanleyCuppic.twitter.com/MjK2GuNPNJ

— NHL (@NHL) April 30, 2025

Howden fired a shot and beat Fleury on the glove side. And just like that, the Wild are now down 3-2 in the series. 

"We're feeling good. We're confident in our game," Boldy said after the game. "We know that we play the right way, we can beat this team. I think we've just got to kind of put that one behind us and stay positive. Take the good, fix the bad and kind of just keep our energy up. I think that's the biggest thing. You can't be deflated. It's a series. You go back home, you use our fans, you try to win that game, then anything happens in Game 7."

The Wild will head back home for a 6:30 start for Game 6 on Thursday. And as Faber said after the game, this thing is far from over.

"This thing is far from over. They still got to beat us. We're going to be ready for war on Thursday."

Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' Minnesota Wild page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.

Wild Related News

Wild's Marc-Andre Fleury Sets NHL Playoff Goaltending RecordIn a 2-1 game after the second period in Game 5, Marc-Andre Fleury led the Wild on the ice for the third period.  Wild Backup Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury Returns To The Net Against Golden Knights, Loses In OvertimeLAS VEGAS -- Minnesota backup goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury returned the ice at T-Mobile Arena to oppose the Golden Knights, as Wild starting goalie Filip Gustavsson didn't return to the game due to illness, per the team. Wild Sticking With Gustav Nyquist, Freddy Gaudreau Despite ProductionGeneral box scores can be tricky when it comes to evaluating a player's performance. Stats like goals, assists and shots can tell a story whether or not a guy is producing. Whereas, plus-minus, block shots and hits are general box score stats that point to a guy being good defensively or not. 

The Utah Hockey Club experiences leak where new name is revealed

The Utah Hockey Club had news leak on Wednesday that they may have not been ready for. As they are taking their time with the announcement of what the new name will be for their franchise, their YouTube page gave fans an early look whether it was intended or not. 

Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) on XUtah Hockey Club’s official YouTube page now shows UtahMammoth 🦣

The team has not yet commented on the leak but all signs point to it being true. We can expect a full brand roll out in the next few days for what we now know is the Utah Mammoth. 

More NHL:Where Will Vancouver Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet Go Next? 

The NHL has seen several changes around the league in terms of new teams like the Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights joining recently as expansion teams. Betting odds were at one point posted for what the future name will be so if you can find it anywhere, this is obviously a must-bet opportunity.

In their inaugural 2024–25 NHL season, the Utah Hockey Club finished with a 38–31–13 record, placing 6th in the Central Division and missing the playoffs by a narrow margin. 

Utah has a 1.5 per cent chance of winning the NHL Draft lottery and may have a chance to draft Boston College centre James Hagens, who is listed with +410 odds to go first overall.

More NHL: Stars' Hintz, Oilers' Nugent-Hopkins Headline Playoff Players Due for Bounce Back Performances

They could also opt to go with the new consensus top pick in Erie Otters defenceman Matthew Schaefer. He would fall under the bet of a defenceman to go first overall at -158 and could be a great addition to Utah's blueline. 

Utah showed resilience throughout this season, with standout performances from Clayton Keller, who led with 89 points, and goalie Karel Vejmelka, who finished with a 26-22-8 record along with a solid 2.58 goals against average. 

Despite a promising 89-point campaign, Utah fell short of a wild-card spot, ending their season with a 6–1 loss to the St. Louis Blues, who secured the final playoff berth.