Tomas Hertl Ends 29-Game Drought in 4-3 Loss

tomas hertl ended a 29-game scoring drought Sunday, scoring with 1:04 remaining in the Vegas Golden Knights' 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks in Game 4. It was his first goal since March 4, a late break in a series that is now tied 2-2.

Hertl Breaks Through Late

Hertl’s goal came with the Golden Knights down two and playing with an extra attacker. He had gone 29 games, including playoffs, without scoring before finally beating Lukas Dostal late in the third period.

For a center who is expected to get to the front of the net with his 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame, the absence from the scoresheet had stretched from March 4 through Sunday. The timing of the goal mattered less than the simple fact that the puck went in after weeks of missed chances.

Golden Knights Shuffle Again

Mark Stone missed Sunday after leaving Game 3 with a lower-body injury, and that forced another look at the Golden Knights’ top power-play setup. Hertl returned to the first unit, with Mitch Marner taking Stone’s spot below the goal line, while Brandon Saad replaced Stone and played a team-low 7:20.

That change did not produce much at even strength. Hertl’s line with Saad and Kolesar was outshot 4-1 over 4:10 at 5-on-5, leaving the late goal as the clearest offensive payoff from the lineup adjustment.

Game 5 At T-Mobile Arena

The series is now a best-of-three with the Golden Knights holding home-ice advantage. Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena, and Brayden McNabb said the result Sunday does not change the urgency: “It doesn’t matter what the score was. It could’ve been 6-0, 1-0, whatever it may be. It’s a best-of-three with home ice. We have to get our rest and be ready for the next one.”

John Tortorella also framed the goal as the kind of moment that can loosen up a scorer: “You know with goal scorers, an empty-netter, 6-on-5, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “If the puck goes in the net, hopefully it releases him a little bit.” Hertl had been close for quite a while, and Sunday finally gave him a result to carry into Game 5.