Golden Knights Edge Ducks 3-2 in Tight Regular-Season Finish

The Vegas Golden Knights held off the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 in a one-goal decision on May 13, 2026. Anaheim pushed hard down the stretch but couldn't find the equalizer, falling short despite playing shorthanded on the blue line.

The decisive moment

The Golden Knights survived a tense final frame to escape with a 3-2 win over the Ducks, a one-goal margin that came down to the closing minutes. Anaheim pressed for an equalizer but could not solve Vegas in time, handing the Golden Knights a hard-earned regulation result.

By the numbers

Final score: Vegas Golden Knights 3, Anaheim Ducks 2
Margin of victory: one goal
Game classification: close, one-score finish
Anaheim absences: Radko Gudas (lower body), Drew Helleson (out), Ryan Poehling (day-to-day)

Vegas built its narrow advantage by managing the middle of the ice and limiting Anaheim's high-danger looks until the closing push. The Ducks, leaning on a depleted defensive group, kept pace but couldn't generate the extra finish they needed.

What it means

For the Golden Knights, this is the type of grind-it-out win that sharpens late-2025-26 season NHL Regular Season form, where two points in tight games carry outsized weight. For the Ducks, the result stings even with mitigating circumstances — Anaheim is competing without a key piece in Radko Gudas and another regular in Drew Helleson, while Ryan Poehling remains day-to-day. Close losses pile up quickly, and Anaheim needed this one to feel.

What to watch next

Vegas will look to carry its defensive structure into its next outing and stack another close-game result on top of this one. Anaheim, meanwhile, will want a cleaner start and a healthier blue line as the schedule winds down, with Poehling's status worth tracking.