Ducks take down Golden Knights in close Game 4 to even series 2-2

Ducks Leo Carlsson handles the puck in Game 4 against the Golden Knights
Ducks Leo Carlsson handles the puck in Game 4 against the Golden Knights Scott Strazzante / CTK / AP

The Anaheim Ducks defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 4 on Sunday night to even the series up 2-2.

After being pulled in Game 3, Anaheim goaltender Lukas Dotal made his comeback this time around and put up 18 saves, including a few crucial ones down the stretch.

The series now heads back to Vegas for Game 5 on Tuesday, May 12th.

Vegas are 4-1 all-time when a playoff series they started as the home team is tied 2-2. Meanwhile, the Ducks are 2-2 all-time in the same scenario, but when starting the series on the road.

Recap & Highlights

The first two periods were as exciting as playoff hockey gets, as both teams would exchange one goal each, with Anaheim taking the lead heading into the third period. 

Beckett Sennecke got things started on the Ducks' first power play of the game with his fifth goal of the playoffs to make it 1-0

Alex Killorn (5), who'd later score the go-ahead goal heading into the third, and Cutter Gauthier (4) both picked up the assists.

Sennecke became just the sixth player in NHL history to score in three straight playoff games before turning 21, joining Sidney Crosby (2007) as the only one two from this century. 

Anaheim had previously gone 0-for-11 on the power play in this series. 

Then, the Knights would respond in kind during their first power play of the night. 

Pavel Dorofeyev tied things up for the Knights with his fifth goal of the playoffs. Jack Eichel (11) and Mitch Marner (8) recorded the assists. 

Ironically enough, with that assist, Marner surpassed Eichel for the most points (14) in their first 10 playoff games as a member of the Golden Knights. 

Then, the score would change once more with under four minutes left in the first period. 

Mikael Granlund scored his fourth of the playoffs to put the Ducks back on top 2-1 with an assist from Jeffrey Viel, his second of the playoffs (both from this series). 

Anaheim had another opportunity before the end of the period with a second power play, but couldn't capitalize. 

Entering the second, the Knights would once again tie things up, this time within the first five minutes. 

Vegas' Brett Bowden tied Carolina's Logan Stankoven and Minnesota's Matt Boldy for the most goals these playoffs with his seventh to make it a 2-2 game. 

William Karlsson earned his second assist of the playoffs, while Marner (9) picked up his second assist of the night. 

Anaheim had another power play opportunity with less than four minutes to go in the second, and they wouldn't be denied this time around. 

The veteran Killorn recorded his fourth goal to put his squad up 3-2 as the Ducks' power play came alive in Game 4, showing why they're the best PP unit of the remaining teams. 

Gauthier (5) earned his second assist of the night, while Sennecke earned his first of the playoffs.

Heading into the third period, Anaheim outshot (18-12) and outhit (26-22) the Knights. But Vegas would have a fresh power play to start the third after Sennecke caught a two-minute minor for cross-checking right at the end of the second. 

But after another failed power play for the Golden Knights, the Ducks would double their lead shortly after. 

This time around, it was Ian Moore, who scored his first career playoff goal off Olen Zellweger's first career playoff assist, along with Gauthier's (6) third assist of the night as well, to make it 4-2.

Gauthier became the youngest player (22 years, 111 days) in Ducks playoff history to record three assists in a game.

Vegas had a golden opportunity to cut the lead to one with a later power play in the third period, but couldn't find the net. However, they would make it a one-goal game with the man advantage after pulling goaltender Carter Hart.

Tomas Hertl scored his first goal in 29 games to make it a 4-3 game with 1:04 left to go in regulation. 

Anaheim would ride out the rest of the game as Vegas went with the empty net as they took Game 4 to even the series. 

The Ducks finished the night outshooting (23-21) and outhitting (34-27) the Golden Knights.