Vegas Golden Knights defeat Dallas Stars 3-2

Reilly Smith's late goal denies Stars' chance to clinch playoff spot

Mar. 23, 2026 at 2:26am

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The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Dallas Stars 3-2, with Reilly Smith scoring the game-winning goal with 3:38 left in the third period. The loss denied the Stars' bid to clinch a playoff berth. Brayden McNabb and Ivan Barbashev also scored for Vegas.

Why it matters

The Stars were close to securing a spot in the playoffs, but the loss to the Golden Knights means they will have to wait a bit longer to punch their ticket. This was an important late-season matchup between two Western Conference teams fighting for postseason positioning.

The details

Reilly Smith scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:38 left in the third period to lift the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. The loss denied the Stars' bid to clinch a playoff berth. Brayden McNabb and Ivan Barbashev also scored for Vegas.

  • The game was played on March 23, 2026.
  • Reilly Smith scored the game-winning goal with 3:38 left in the third period.

The players

Reilly Smith

Forward for the Vegas Golden Knights who scored the game-winning goal.

Brayden McNabb

Defenseman for the Vegas Golden Knights who scored a goal.

Ivan Barbashev

Forward for the Vegas Golden Knights who scored a goal.

Dallas Stars

NHL team that was denied a chance to clinch a playoff berth with the loss.

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What they’re saying

“We're disappointed we couldn't clinch a playoff spot tonight, but we'll regroup and come back stronger.”

— Jamie Benn, Captain, Dallas Stars

What’s next

The Stars will have another chance to clinch a playoff spot when they take on the Colorado Avalanche on March 25.

The takeaway

This was a tough loss for the Stars, who were close to securing a postseason berth. The Golden Knights showed resilience in coming from behind to win the game and deny their division rival a chance to clinch a playoff spot.