The Vegas Golden Knights secured a gritty 3-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks in overtime during Game 5 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The headlines, however, belonged to defenseman Brayden McNabb.

The Vegas enforcer was ejected after hitting Ducks center Ryan Poehling, who had to leave the match. The collision happened near the boards with just nine minutes left in the opening round.

Poehling had already moved the puck away when Brayden slammed into him with his shoulder. The sheer force of the hit caused his head to strike the boards before he collapsed on the ice.

Trainers and teammates rushed to help Poehling and led him into the locker room. The Ducks later confirmed that the player would not be returning to the game due to an upper-body injury.

The officials subsequently reviewed the incident and handed McNabb a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct. Vegas played the rest of the game with only five defensemen. 

Prior to this setback, the match already witnessed a few heated moments with players continuing to argue after the whistle.

McNabb's troubles didn't end there, as the NHL Department of Player Safety suspended him for one playoff game after reviewing the mishap.

The commission stated that Ryan Poehling was not in a legal position to be checked. The department also added that McNabb had the time to avoid or reduce the intensity of the hit, but didn't do so.

Poehling, meanwhile, will also miss Game 6 due to his injury, which paints a worrying picture for the Ducks.

Vegas Take Control of The Series After Overtime Win 

Following McNabb's ejection, the Ducks took advantage as winger Beckett Sennecke scored off a rebound to continue his form and take an early lead. 

Vegas managed to recover from the penalty and took control of the game, as winger Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice, including the overtime winner 4:10 into the extra period after receiving a cross-ice pass from Jack Eichel.

Forward Tomas Hertl also added a goal and an assist, while goaltender Carter Hart made 34 saves to keep his team in the game.

The Ducks staged a defiant effort in the later stages when defenseman Olen Zellweger scored the equalizer to force overtime. A comeback seemed possible, with strong performances coming from Cutter Gauthier and Mason McTavish, who recorded two assists apiece. 

However, Vegas skated away with the win and a 3-2 lead in this best-of-seven series. With McNabb missing Game 6 on Thursday, the team must draft a plan to keep the Ducks at bay and retain their advantage.

Meanwhile, Ryan Poehling's absence will affect the Ducks' plans of mounting a comeback. The 27-year-old center has contributed five points in 11 playoff games this season.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Sijo Paul