Eichel scores in OT, Knights clinch playoff berth with 3-2 win over Avs

DENVER (AP) — Jack Eichel scored 1:19 into overtime, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Saturday night to secure a playoff berth.

Vegas (91 points) took over the Pacific Division lead from Edmonton with its fifth win in six games since coach John Tortorella was hired to replace Bruce Cassidy. The Oilers, who lost 1-0 at Los Angeles earlier, have 90 points and Anaheim is third with 89 points.

Knights goaltender Carter Hart, who finished with 30 saves, stoned Devon Toews on a shot and Eichel gathered the rebound. He skated down the left boards and beat Mackenzie Blackwood to win it.

Blackwood finished with 26 saves for Colorado, which lost defenseman Josh Manson to an upper-body injury and coach Jared Bednar early in the third period after getting hit in the head with the puck.

Keegan Kolesar was carrying the puck up along the boards in the neutral zone when he lifted it over into the Avs bench and struck Bednar, who went to his knees holding the side of his head.

He was helped to the locker room by one of the team's trainers and did not return to the bench. He was taken to a hospital after the game for a CT scan.

Colorado clinched the top overall seed with Thursday’s 3-1 win over Calgary, the third time in franchise history it has captured the Presidents’ Trophy. The Avs have a say in who wins the Pacific Division, too, with a game in Edmonton on Monday night.

Toews gave Colorado a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal midway through the first period and Mark Stone tied it on the Knights’ second man-advantage later in the period.

Pavel Dorofeyev gave Vegas a 2-1 lead 2:09 into the second period and Nick Blankenburg made it 2-all, his first goal with the Avs.

Up next

Golden Knights: Host Winnipeg on Monday night.

Avalanche: At Edmonton on Monday night.