The Golden Knights smother the Ducks

Ducks win in overtime and still go dark

Three apiece, then the clock

The Anaheim Ducks won their game. They won it in overtime. Their flame went out anyway. On qualification night each team played its own game, and the one that scored more went through. The Ducks and the Vegas Golden Knights scored three apiece, so the Gauntlet went to its tiebreak: who scored first, goal by goal. Vegas struck at 6:54 of the first period. Anaheim's first goal came at 15:49 of the second. That settled it. The Ducks, 32nd of 32 last season, went dark, and 21 candles still burn.

Theodore beats the buzzer

In Paradise, Ivan Barbashev opened the scoring on a backhand, with Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault assisting. The Philadelphia Flyers then went ahead: Noah Cates scored with a wrister at 13:07 and Cam Atkinson added a backhand at 17:19. After that, 34:47 passed without a goal until Paul Cotter tied it with a wrister at 12:06 of the third. Then Shea Theodore, a defenseman, fired a wrist shot with 0:33 left, set up by Eichel and Brayden McNabb. Logan Thompson stopped 26 of 28.

Dostal's stand, not enough

In Columbus, Lukas Dostal made 35 saves on 37 shots for Anaheim. The Columbus Blue Jackets scored first on Emil Bemstrom's power-play slapper, and Ryan Strome answered on a backhand. Adam Fantilli put the Blue Jackets back in front, Brett Leason tied it at 16:13 of the third, and Frank Vatrano won it 2:20 into overtime. Three goals, matched by Vegas. The tiebreak sided with the Golden Knights.