The 2026 NHL playoffs are heating up, with Vegas one win from the conference final 
The final four in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs is starting to take shape. The Colorado Avalanche have already booked their spot, as have the Carolina Hurricanes. And Thursday night could still turn it all on its head.
Out West, the Vegas Golden Knights are back in California, in Anaheim, with one simple goal: finish the job and punch their ticket to the conference final. A win would wrap the series up right here in Game 6.
In the other series still in progress, Buffalo and Montreal keep trading blows. After four games, the two sides are deadlocked at two wins apiece, and everything is still on the line before the swing to Game 5.
Vegas one win from the series
The Golden Knights arrive with a major edge in this series, both on the scoreboard and in the kind of big-game experience that tends to matter at this stage.
History is also on their side. When they lead a best-of-seven series 3-2, they almost always get it done. They have been knocked out just once from that position, back in 2019 against San Jose.
Anaheim, meanwhile, is up against the numbers. The Ducks have often struggled when they fall behind in a tight series, even if they have pulled off a few memorable comebacks over the years.
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Standout individual performances are shaping these series
Beyond the results, a few players are making their presence felt in these playoffs.
Beckett Sennecke has been outstanding, scoring in four straight games — a rare run for a player this young at this point in the competition.
For Anaheim, Olen Zellweger finally got off the mark in the playoffs by scoring a big goal in Game 5, becoming the 15th different Ducks player to score in this campaign.
For Vegas, Pavel Dorofeyev made his mark with a game-winning overtime goal, putting himself in a very specific corner of franchise history.
Jack Eichel, meanwhile, keeps delivering when it matters, piling up assists in the biggest-pressure games.
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