Anaheim ties Golden Knights series

Anaheim did the one thing a road team needs to do in a playoff series — steal a game early. The Ducks beat the Golden Knights 3-1 in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, tying the second-round series at 1-1 and flipping the pressure before the scene moves to Southern California. That matters because Vegas opened with home ice and won Game 1. Now that edge is gone. (nhl.com) ### What actually happened in Game 2? Anaheim won 3-1 at T-Mobile Arena on May 6. The Ducks got goals from Beckett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson, and Jansen Harkins, while Vegas managed only one from Mark Stone, and that came late on a power play. For most of the night, Anaheim looked tighter, calmer, and much less reactive than it did in the opener. (nhl.com)5/06/ducks-return-to-basics-top-golden-knights-in-game-2-to-even-series/)) ### Why does tying it at 1-1 matter so much? Because this is the whole road-team script. You do not need both games in the other building. You need one. Anaheim got one, which means the Ducks now head home with the series reset to a best-of-five where they own the next two games in Anaheim. Vegas no longer has the cushion that came with opening the round at home. (nhl.com) ### Who drove the result? Leo Carlsson was the key name on the scoresheet because he had the game-winning goal. Lukas Dostal was just as important because he kept Anaheim in control deep into the third period and nearly finished with a shutout before Stone broke through with 5.6 seconds left. That is the kind of goalie line that changes the feel of a series fast. (redl([nhl.com)ailyfacts.com/2026/05/06/ducks-return-to-basics-top-golden-knights-in-game-2-to-even-series/)) ### What changed from Game 1? Basically, Anaheim got back to a simpler version of itself. The Ducks defended better, stayed connected in front of Dostal, and did not spend the night chasing Vegas through transition. In Game 1, the Golden Knights had more room and more con(redlandsdailyfacts.com) it is usually the real story. (redlandsdailyfacts.com) ### Is this now Anaheim’s series? Not exactly. It is even, not tilted beyond repair. But the catch for Vegas is that the Golden Knights just gave away the cleanest path through the series — protect home ice early, then make Anaheim play from behind. Now Vegas has to win a(redlandsdailyfacts.com)l shift. (nhl.com) ### What happens next? Game 3 is set for Friday, May 8, in Anaheim, and Game 4 follows on Sunday, May 10, also at Honda Center. If the split holds form, Game 5 goes back to Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 12. So the series has moved from “can Anaheim survive Vegas?” to “can Vegas answer once the building flips?” (nhl.com) ### What should you w(nhl.com)the game on its terms. If Dostal keeps giving the Ducks steady goaltending and Carlsson keeps driving offense, the Ducks have a real shot to turn a nice split into control. But if Vegas gets its forecheck and special teams humming again, that pressure can swing back just as fast. A 1-1 series sounds neutral —(nhl.com)e home ice usually feels like the one with momentum. (redlandsdailyfacts.com) ### Bottom line Anaheim did not just win a game. The Ducks changed the geometry of the series. Vegas still has the higher seed, but Anaheim now has the next chance to make this round bend its way.