In the first two games of the series, the Vegas Golden Knights left a mixed impression. Playing at home, they allowed the Anaheim Ducks to dictate terms but managed to win only the opening contest. That victory came with controversy—on a goal by Barbashev, officials could have called a linesman’s interference but chose not to. The third game was a different story: the Golden Knights dismantled Anaheim by scoring three unanswered goals in the first period and leading 5-0 after two periods. The Ducks won the third period but gained little consolation from that rout.
For Anaheim, the key after such a blowout was to realize they were not facing the defensively fragile Edmonton Oilers—a team that could be scored on at will. The Ducks needed to take greater responsibility in the opening period. In Game 4, they absorbed both lessons and seized control. Anaheim struck first on a power play: Killorn dropped the puck to the blue line, and Sennecke hammered a shot past Hart, making it 1-0.
Beckett Sennecke became only the second rookie in franchise history to score in three consecutive playoff games. He also became the eighth NHL player aged 20 or younger to achieve that feat, joining the likes of Matthews (four straight), Backstrom (four), Laine, McDavid, Jenner, Kane, and Crosby (three each).
Before the first intermission, Anaheim added another goal but also conceded. Pavel Dorofeev, who has been shuffled in and out of the top power-play unit by Tortorella, capitalized on a five-on-four opportunity by jumping on a rebound. It was his fifth goal of the playoffs.
Dorofeev’s goals seem logical and well-timed, but the unexpected emergence of Brett Howden has been astonishing—the Canadian has now tallied seven goals in the playoffs, the most of any player.
The score remained tied for about 14 minutes until Beckett Sennecke produced a highlight-reel goal. He executed a spin-o-rama at the blue line, drew two defenders, then slid a diagonal pass to the far side, where Gauthier and Killorn finished the play to put Anaheim ahead 3-2.
In the third period, Anaheim extended their lead to 4-2 through Moor. But a moment of showboating by Cutter Gauthier almost cost them—Vegas pulled one back immediately when Hertl scored at 58:56, making it 4-3. However, time ran out on the Golden Knights’ comeback.
With this win, the Anaheim Ducks evened the series at 2-2, thanks in large part to the historic performance of Beckett Sennecke, who not only etched his name alongside legends but also delivered the play of the day.
