Defending champions Vegas Golden Knights take on the Dallas Stars on home ice at the T-Mobile Arena as they aim to stave off NHL playoff elimination.
The Golden Knights are battling to cling onto their title defence and find themselves on the brink after Game 5 of the series.
Bruce Cassidy’s team have been far from their best, in the series so far, and need to find some champion-mentality if they are to win out in the best-of-seven round one series.
What are the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs?
The Stanley cup playoffs are an elimination tournament which happens every year to determine the overall winner of the National Hockey League. .
There are 16 teams who play in the tournament – eight teams from each of the two conferences.
In each round, teams battle their divisional and conference rivals in best-of-seven series’ to determine the conference champions.
When each conference has been whittled down to one last tea standing, those teams face of in the Stanley Cup final to fight for the most coveted trophy in Hockey.
What is the current score in the series?
The Golden Knights are currently 3-2 down against the Star, so if Dallas win just one of the remaining two matches, they will advance to round two, while the Golden Knights will be left to plan for next season.
Defeat would probably sting Vegas, not just because they are the reigning Champions but because they actually led the series 2-0.
However, VGK have collapsed since then, and will now have to be perfect in the remaining two games if they hope to continue their defence and keep the dream of back-to-back titles alive.
In the fifth game a costly mistake by the usually reliable Alex Pietrangelo proved pivotal, and may prove to be a key moment in the whole series. The veteran blueliner swung a glove into the face of Stars centre Tyler Seguin
Pietrangelo went to the box and Jason Robertson capitalised on the powerplay to score the winning goal in the second period.
When do Vegas Golden Knights finish the series?
Game 6 of the first round play-off series with the Stars will be at 7pm (PDT) on Friday at the T-Mobile Arena.
Vegas Golden Knights will be desperate to take full advantage of home ice and hope the Fortress holds to win the game and force a decider.
Should they manage that, the all-or-nothing Game 7 will take place in Dallas On Sunday May 5.