The Vegas Golden Knights never managed to seize control against the Anaheim Ducks in Game 4, as the Ducks outperformed them in shots on goal, hits, and special teams. A similar scenario occurred in Game 1, but the Golden Knights found a way to win that contest. This time, they weren’t as fortunate. The Ducks converted nearly every scoring chance and held off a late surge to claim a 4-3 victory.
The series is now knotted at 2-2. Game 5 is set for 6:50 p.m. PST on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena.
**1. Breaking the Drought**
Tomáš Hertl, who ranked second on the team in goals last season, entered the game on a lengthy goalless streak. His last goal came on March 4th, 29 games ago. For Golden Knights fans looking for a silver lining in this loss, it arrived when Hertl finally found the back of the net, snapping his drought.
“With goal scorers, an empty netter, a 6-on-5, it doesn’t matter as long as the puck goes in the net. Hopefully, it just releases him a little bit,” said Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella after the game. “He’s been close for quite a while. He bangs one in, and hopefully, that’ll help him as we move forward.”
**2. Penalty Kill Breakdown**
Entering Game 4, the Golden Knights had been nearly flawless on the penalty kill, going 26-for-27 in the postseason and not allowing a power-play goal since Game 3 against the Utah Mammoth. That changed on Sunday, as they surrendered two power-play tallies.
The Ducks are dangerous with the man advantage—they went 8-for-16 on the power play against the Edmonton Oilers in the First Round. To advance past Anaheim, the Golden Knights must ensure that Sunday’s performance was an anomaly and restore their penalty kill to its earlier series form.
**3. Perspective on the Series**
The series can be viewed in two contrasting ways. On the downside, the Golden Knights have been outplayed in three of the four games, which is concerning. They have struggled to contain Anaheim’s speed, and the Ducks have now found success on the power play.
On the brighter side, despite being the second-best team on the ice for most of the series, the Golden Knights are still tied 2-2. They now face a best-of-three scenario to reach the Western Conference Final—a position that offers real opportunity.
“I have zero worry about this team,” Tortorella said following the 4-3 loss. “As far as how we’re going to go about the next few games here, whatever it goes to, I have total trust.”