Barbashev Secures 4-3 Overtime Win Over Wild in Game 4

The Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights met up for Game 4 on Saturday afternoon, April 26, in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Wild held a 2-1 series lead and looked to take a commanding 3-1 lead back to Vegas for Game 5. The Wild had one update to report, and that was Marcus Johansson, who was out due to a lower-body injury he received in Game 3, and Vinnie Hinostroza was brought in. The Golden Knights’ lineup remained the same as Game 3. 

Related: 3 Takeaways From the Wild’s 5-2 Win Over the Golden Knights in Game 3

The goaltender matchup was between Filip Gustavsson for the Wild and Adin Hill, who was back in goal for the Golden Knights after being pulled in Game 3. The game was entertaining from start to finish. The Golden Knights got the jump first, but the Wild battled back, and it required overtime to declare a winner. It was a hard-fought overtime, and the Golden Knights came out on top 4-3 to even the series 2-2.

Game Recap

The game started out tight once again, but the Golden Knights got the first goal on the power play. The goal was tallied by Shea Theodore, his first of the postseason, and Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel assisted him to make it 1-0 early in the first. The Wild responded a few minutes later with a goal from their fourth line. Marco Rossi scored the goal, and Justin Brazeau and Yakov Trenin assisted him to make it 1-1. That would be the end of the scoring for the period, and the tie would go into the second. 

The Wild started the second with the momentum in their favor as Marcus Foligno scored to give them a 2-1 lead. Ryan Hartman and Mats Zuccarello assisted him. That was the only goal of the second period, and the Wild took the lead into the third. 

The Golden Knights opened the scoring in the third with a power-play goal by Nicolas Roy. Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev assisted him to make it 2-2. Hertl scored near the halfway point of the period to give his team their first lead of the game, 3-2. Mark Stone and Brayden McNabb assisted him. The Wild responded with a goal by their captain, Jared Spurgeon, to tie the game up 3-3. Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek assisted him. That was the final goal of the regulation, and overtime was needed to determine a winner. 

Barbashev scored the game winner after the puck bounced around in front of Gustavsson and secured the win in overtime for his team. Roy and Reilly Smith assisted him. The series will now move back to Vegas for Game 5 that will take place on Tuesday, April 29.