Pavel Dorofeyev

Pavel Dorofeyev is making a habit of lighting the lamp in bunches, and the kind of streak he’s on has coaches doing that little half-smile they save for players who are seeing the puck like a beach ball. The second straight multi-goal game is never just a box-score note in this league - it usually means the hands are quick, the confidence is real, and the opposing bench is suddenly a lot quieter.

Dorofeyev does not look interested in waiting around for the next whistle. NHL.com’s note on his second goal of the period tells you everything about the kind of night he is having and the kind of trouble the other team is in. When a player starts stacking goals that fast, the bench starts doing math it would rather avoid.

The play is simple on the scoresheet and usually brutal on the bench - somebody makes one mistake, and suddenly the other side is stacking up breathing room. Dorofeyev steps in and delivers the kind of late touch that coaches love and opponents hate. It is the sort of goal that can flatten a comeback attempt before it ever gets serious, especially this time of year when every shift feels like an audit.

Pavel Dorofeyev emerges as the Golden Knights' unlikely savior, battling through obvious discomfort to deliver in the clutch. The Russian winger dismisses the growing praise with a classic blue-collar shrug, insisting it's all part of the gig. Vegas locker room vets know this grit separates contenders from pretenders as the playoffs heat up.

The second round is where playoff hockey reaches another level entirely, and these performances from Dorofeyev, Saad, and Hertl showcase exactly why. Tortorella's squad is executing at a level that separates contenders from pretenders, with contributions up and down the lineup that suggest this team has staying power. When role players and star forwards are all clicking in May, that's when GMs start believing their window is open wider than they thought.

Ivan Dorofeyev steps up in a massive way during Game 5, etching his name into Golden Knights lore with a performance that flips the series script. Vegas coaches have been waiting for this kind of breakout from the young sniper, who's been simmering on the third line all playoffs. The Knights now hold the upper hand, but the pressure ramps up as opponents scramble to counter this newfound momentum in a series that's far from decided.