Adin Hill flashes old playoff form as Golden Knights beat Stars 2-0 to force Game 7

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Beginning with Tyler Seguin on a breakaway, the shots came in waves at Vegas goalie Adin Hill.

He stopped Seguin at point blank, saved Evgenii Dadonov's rebound and then stopped Seguin again.

This was the Hill of last year's Stanley Cup championship run, and because of him the Golden Knights kept alive their hopes of repeating by beating the Dallas Stars 2-0 on Friday night to force a Game 7.

“You need to make big saves at big times in big games,” Hill said. “That's how you win playoff games. I think our team learned that last year, and any team that's won, their goalies had to catch fire at times.”

The deciding game in the first-round series is Sunday in Dallas.

Hill stopped 23 shots for first shutout since having two in three games in early November. Noah Hanifin broke a scoreless tie at 9:54 of the third period and Mark Stone scored an empty-netter from 176 feet away with 18.9 seconds left to seal the victory.

This was the second winning goal this series for Hanifin, who was a trade-deadline acquisition from Calgary.

“Ever since I got traded here, I was super excited about the opportunity coming to a team with guys that have won,” Hanifin said. “It's a great culture here and I'm fortunate to be a part of it. I feel good about my game and I'm trying to contribute whichever way I can.”

This was a classic goalie duel, with Hill looking like the player who went 11-4 with a .932 save percentage and 2.17 goals goals allowed per game in last year's playoffs. But Hill had been up and down late in this season, and Logan Thompson got the starting job in the series' first four games.

The Knights turned to Hill for Game 5 in their 3-2 loss and then again for this one.

“At the end of the year, Adin was feeling pretty good about this game,” Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “You could see it in practice. It was just pucks were finding their way in. ... He should have confidence. He just pitched a shutout and made some really high-end saves.”

On the other side, Jake Oettinger made 28 saves and entered the game without giving up a goal in this series in the third period or overtime. Hanifin's goal ended Oettinger's streak at 60 saves.

“I would've like to have shut it down tonight, but now that we're in this position, that's why we played so well during the regular season to get Game 7 at home if it comes to that,” Oettinger said. “The ball's in our court. We're on home ice, and now it's on us to take care of business.”

There are numbers that favor either side going into Game 7.

Vegas took a 2-0 lead in this series, and the Knights are 4-0 when holding such an advantage. The Stars have never overcome such a deficit in the nine previous tries since moving to Dallas. NHL teams overall are 351-55 when given that early lead.

But no team has been able to solve Stars coach Pete DeBoer in a seventh game. He is 7-0.

“There's nothing better than Game 7s,” DeBoer said. “That's what you grew up dreaming about playing and the second-best thing is coaching in them.”

This game had electricity from the beginning, both teams missing major scoring opportunities with the tension building as the game progressed. The Golden Knights added some star touches with recording artist Shania Twain cranking the horn before the game and James Holzhauer of Jeopardy fame doing it before the third.

The Golden Knights, as expected given the circumstances, came out flying, living in the Stars' offensive zone early on. Dallas didn't get its first shot on goal until 7:45 into the game, but the Knights failed to cash in on several chances, including a point-blank opportunity by Nicolas Roy and a shot from Keegan Kolesar that went off the post to keep the game scoreless in the first period.

The game remained that way through the second period, but it wasn't for a lack of action. In addition to Hill's three spectacular saves during that one sequence, he later received an assist from Stone, who cleared the puck from the goal line. Logan Stankoven missed an open net for the Stars, and Vegas' Jonathan Marchessault had a shot from the left circle that William Karlsson tipped that caused the crowd to believe the puck went into the net.

Hanifin finally broke through, with his unassisted wrister from the right circle.

This story has been corrected to show that Evgenii Dadonov's rebound was blocked in a flurry of shots, not Joe Pavelski's.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) blocks a shot by Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) during the second period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, May 3, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) blocks a shot attempt by the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, May 3, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) blocks a shot by the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, May 3, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) and Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar (55) vie for the puck during the first period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, May 3, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) attempts a shot on Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) during the second period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, May 3, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell (23) knocks down Vegas Golden Knights left wing William Carrier (28) during the second period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, May 3, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) celebrates after scoring against the Dallas Stars during the third period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, May 3, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights celebrate after a goal by Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) during the third period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, May 3, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights celebrate after a goal by Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) during the third period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, May 3, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin, left, celebrates after scoring against the Dallas Stars during the third period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, May 3, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone, right, celebrates after scoring against the Dallas Stars during the third period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, May 3, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

HOUSTON (AP) — Jake Meyers hit a two-run homer and Jeremy Peña’s three-run shot in the fifth inning gave the Houston Astros a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night to extend their season-long winning streak to six games.

Houston trailed by 2 when Victor Caratini singled to start the fifth, Jose Altuve singled on an infield grounder and Peña sent a slider from Freddy Peralta into the left-field seats for a 5-4 lead.

The Astros have won eight of their last nine games to start to recover from a horrible start to the season and move into third place in the AL West.

“We’re feeling good,” Peña said. “We've always believed in ourselves since the beginning. We have a great team. We've got the necessary pieces and we’re slowly putting it back together.”

Hunter Brown (1-4) yielded four runs and four hits while walking three in five innings for his first win since Sept. 13. He had been 0-6 in his last nine starts.

Milwaukee had runners on first and second with two outs in the seventh, but Rafael Montero struck out William Contreras to end the threat.

The Brewers had two on with two outs again in the eighth but came up empty when Bryan Abreu struck out Sal Frelick.

Josh Hader pitched a scoreless ninth for his sixth save in seven chances.

“I see a team that is playing with urgency,” manager Joe Espada said. “We've got edge to our game on both sides of the ball. You could see the swag, you could feel the energy and it’s time for us to pick it up.”

Peralta (3-2) tied season highs by allowing five runs and eight hits in five innings.

Jake Bauers had a solo shot and Joey Ortiz added three hits, highlighted by a three-run homer in the fourth for the Brewers, whose two-game winning streak was snapped.

There was one out in the second when Bauers sent his soaring shot off into the second deck in right field to put Milwaukee up 1-0.

Alex Bregman singled with no outs in the bottom of the inning before Jon Singleton grounded into a force out that left Bregman out at second. Meyers then launched his fourth homer of the season into the crowd in left field to give Houston a 2-1 lead.

Bauers drew a one-out walk in the fourth before Frelick walked with two outs. Ortiz then put the Brewers back on top with his shot that just cleared the short fence in right field.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: OF Chas McCormick (right hamstring discomfort) went 1 for 4 in his fourth rehabilitation game for Double-A Corpus Christi Friday night. Manager Joe Espada said he’ll play one more game before being evaluated for a return.

UP NEXT

Houston RHP Justin Verlander (2-1, 3.38 ERA) opposes RHP Bryse Wilson (2-1, 2.65) when the series continues Saturday night.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown delivers to a Milwaukee Brewers batter during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta delivers to a Houston Astros batter during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Jake Meyers hits a two-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Milwaukee Brewers' Joey Ortiz, right, celebrates his three-run home run against the Houston Astros with third base coach Jason Lane during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Milwaukee Brewers' Joey Ortiz watches his three-run home run against the Houston Astros during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Jeremy Pena hits a three-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Jeremy Pena (3) celebrates his three-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers with Jose Altuve during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)