LAS VEGAS (AP) — Trevor Connelly scored in the fifth round of the shootout and the Vegas Golden Knights came back from a three-goal deficit for a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.
The rookie beat Sergei Bobrovsky with a backhand-forehand move before Vegas goalie Adin Hill denied Toronto's John Tavares as Vegas rallied for its third consecutive victory.
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Vegas Golden Knights' Brett Howden, right, celebrates with teammates after a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Vegas Golden Knights' Braeden Bowman (42), Knights' Rasmus Andersson (4) and Toronto Maple Leafs' Morgan Rielly (44) chase the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, right, stops a shot by Vegas Golden Knights' Brett Howden (21) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Toronto Maple Leafs' Jack Roslovic (96) reacts after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Vegas Golden Knights' Jack Eichel (9) shoots a penalty shot against Toronto Maple Leafs' Sergei Bobrovsky, right, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Braeden Bowman also scored for Vegas in the shootout. Kirill Marchenko was Toronto’s only successful shooter as Hill recovered from the early barrage and kept the Maple Leafs scoreless through the second, third, and overtime periods.
Mark Stone, Brett Howden and Jack Eichel — on a penalty shot — scored for Vegas. Hill made 21 saves and stopped four of Toronto’s five shootout attempts.
Jack Roslovic, Easton Cowan and Nick Paul gave Toronto a 3-0 lead in the first period. Bobrovsky made 40 saves.
Roslovic opened the scoring 34 seconds into his 600th career game, slipping the puck between Hill’s pads and the post from the goal line for his 300th career point.
Cowan scored on a breakaway at 3:20, and Paul made it 3-0 at 8:37.
Stone started the comeback with a slap shot at 17:36 of the first period. Eichel assisted, extending his assist and point streaks to five games.
Howden tapped in Mitch Marner’s pass at 1:12 of the second before Eichel tied it on a penalty shot at 3:58.
Eichel has three goals and 12 points through five games.
Vegas outshot Toronto 43-24 but went 0 for 4 on the power play, its first game without a power-play goal this season.
Maple Leafs: Visit Colorado on Saturday.
Golden Knights: Host Los Angeles on Saturday.
See AP’s full NHL coverage here
Vegas Golden Knights' Brett Howden, right, celebrates with teammates after a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Vegas Golden Knights' Braeden Bowman (42), Knights' Rasmus Andersson (4) and Toronto Maple Leafs' Morgan Rielly (44) chase the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, right, stops a shot by Vegas Golden Knights' Brett Howden (21) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Toronto Maple Leafs' Jack Roslovic (96) reacts after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Vegas Golden Knights' Jack Eichel (9) shoots a penalty shot against Toronto Maple Leafs' Sergei Bobrovsky, right, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
CHICAGO (AP) — Facing elimination for the second consecutive day, José Ramírez and the Cleveland Guardians responded once again.
“What this team is doing is only what we know how to do,” the All-Star third baseman said.
Ramírez homered and drove in three runs, and Cleveland beat the Chicago White Sox 9-5 on Thursday night to send their AL Division Series to a winner-take-all Game 5.
Patrick Bailey also went deep and Game 2 starter Gavin Williams came out of the bullpen to get the last three outs as the Guardians won in Chicago for the second straight day after beginning their postseason with two losses at home. Jo Adell hit a two-run single in a six-run sixth inning for the AL Central champions.
“This team has answered all year,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “We talk about it — we punch back.”
The road team has won all four games in the only one of the four best-of-five Division Series to go the distance this year.
Cleveland is looking to become the first club to come back from a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-five playoff series since the 2017 New York Yankees accomplished the feat against, well, Cleveland. Teams with a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five postseason series have gone on to win 83 of 93 times.
Game 5 is back in Cleveland on Saturday night, and the winner will open the American League Championship Series at Tampa Bay next Monday.
“As we’ve battled back and forth with these guys, obviously fitting that it’s going to come down to this,” White Sox manager Will Venable said.
Chicago's bullpen — one of its biggest strengths in a surprising season — is suddenly looking very tired. Grant Taylor was hit hard after pitching 5 1/3 scoreless innings over the first two games of the series, allowing four runs and four hits without retiring any of the six batters he faced during Cleveland's rally in the sixth.
“Body felt good, stuff felt good, just didn’t execute,” Taylor said.
Miguel Vargas homered for the White Sox, who flopped in their second straight bid to clinch a postseason series at home for the first time since the 1906 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. Sam Antonacci drove in two runs off the bench.
All-Star closer Cade Smith worked a scoreless eighth for the Guardians but gave up Vargas' first postseason homer and a walk to start the ninth. He was replaced by Williams, who was making his first career relief appearance and could still start Game 5 as well.
The right-hander needed 18 pitches to get three outs after throwing 98 pitches on Monday. He was the seventh Guardians reliever as the teams combined to use 15 pitchers in a game that took 3 hours, 39 minutes.
Williams went 14-8 this season and led the AL with 248 strikeouts.
“We’ve still got one more to win at home,” Bailey said. “Again, this was an awesome atmosphere to play in. We can’t wait to get back to Cleveland for Game 5.”
Cleveland trailed 2-0 before rallying in the fifth. Bailey led off with a pinch-hit homer, and Steven Kwan chased Erick Fedde with a one-out single.
Jordan Hicks came in and Ramírez drove a 99.9 mph fastball to right-center for just his second homer since Sept. 1, a span of 26 games. The seven-time All-Star had surgery after he broke a bone in his left hand on a swing June 13.
“It was José Ramírez being José Ramírez in the playoffs,” Vogt said.
It was Ramírez's first postseason homer since 2024 and No. 5 overall. He also starred in Game 3, finishing with two hits and two RBIs in Cleveland's 9-3 victory.
“It was really special,” Ramírez said through a translator. “It was great energy out there, and very special to share this with the guys.”
Chicago responded with two runs in the bottom half, sending a charge through the crowd of 39,920. Antonacci was hit by a pitch from Tim Herrin with the bases loaded, and Brenton Doyle made it 4-3 with a sacrifice fly. The White Sox had the bases loaded with two down, but rookie Braden Montgomery struck out swinging against winning pitcher Erik Sabrowski.
Antonacci has been plunked 33 times this year, including a franchise-record 29 in the regular season. The rookie became the first player in postseason history to be hit by a pitch with the bases loaded multiple times in a career, after he was also plunked in the same situation in Game 3.
Losing pitcher Anthony Kay started the sixth for Chicago, but the left-hander was replaced by Taylor after Travis Bazzana's RBI double tied it at 4. Bailey greeted Taylor with a run-scoring single, and Cleveland started to pull away.
Walks by Brayan Rocchio and Kwan loaded the bases for Ramírez, who made it 6-4 with an infield single. Chase DeLauter added another run-scoring single before Adell capped the outburst with a liner to right that drove in Kwan and Ramírez.
“I feel like we’ve been impacting the baseball a lot better the last two games,” Bailey said. “Obviously, the more you see a certain guy, kind of not necessarily more comfortable, but you get to see (those) kind of shapes more and more. Definitely helps.”
Adell hit a three-run triple during Cleveland's Game 3 victory. He has four hits, three walks and six RBIs in the series.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
Chicago White Sox players watch from the dugout during the ninth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)
Chicago White Sox's Miguel Vargas watches his solo home run during the ninth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Gavin Williams delivers during the ninth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)
Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez celebrates after hitting a 2-run home run during the fifth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez hits a 2-run home run during the fifth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
