Sabres, Golden Knights and Canadiens look to close out their 1st-round series in huge Game 6 slate

Vegas Golden Knights at Utah Mammoth

When/Where to Watch: Game 6, Friday, 10 p.m. EDT (ESPN). Series: Golden Knights lead 3-2. The Golden Knights are one victory away from advancing because of … special teams? Vegas’ power play has remained a confounding problem for coach John Tortorella, who has tinkered with the first and second units to find some kind of answer for one of the NHL's best groups in the regular season. But special teams carried Vegas in Wednesday night’s 5-4 double-overtime victory over the Mammoth. The first of Pavel Dorofeyev’s three goals came with the man advantage, and he forced OT with a six-on-five goal with 52.7 seconds left in regulation before Brett Howden’s short-handed winner. The Golden Knights also killed all five of Utah’s power plays. The Mammoth have converted just one of 14 power plays this series. “It really came up big for us tonight,” Tortorella said of the penalty kill. “It’s a skilled team, a very dangerous power play, really big in OT as far as the kill. It’s steadied itself. Utah gets a lot of momentum off their power play whether they score or not. I think we’ve done a better job as the series has gone on.” The Golden Knights still need to find their own way on the power play. Dorofeyev’s first goal ended a drought of 13 power plays without scoring, and they are just 3 of 18 for the series. Which makes it even remarkable Vegas is ahead. According to OptaSTATS, 29 teams have trailed in the third period of each of the first five games of a series, including the Golden Knights in this one. The other 28 teams trailed after five games or had been eliminated. Not Vegas. But it also gives the Mammoth plenty of hope as they try to stave off elimination. They have been right there, losing back-to-back games in overtime, or the Mammoth would already be preparing to face Anaheim or Edmonton in the second round. “We’re a confident group and we believe in one another and our team,” Mammoth captain Clayton Keller said. “These are the most fun games to be a part of. Down 3-2, we get to go home and play in front of our fans. I’m fired up for that.”

Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins

When/Where to Watch: Game 6, Friday, 7:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN). Series: Sabres lead 3-2. David Pastrnak’s breakaway goal 9:14 into overtime sealed a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night to keep the Bruins’ season alive. They’re now back in TD Garden to try to do it again, but it hasn’t exactly been a haven in this series: The Bruins were outscored 9-2 in their home losses in Games 3 and 4. It’s why coach Marco Sturm said the dramatic Game 5 victory doesn’t make them feel like they've cracked the code against Buffalo, even after some schematic changes that went Boston’s way. The Bruins were 29-11-1 at home during the regular season. “(Being home) should elevate your game,” Sturm said. “We’re against the wall, so home or away I see it more like we have to bring our A-game. Otherwise we go home, so we’re going to approach it that way. It’s a one-game mission again.” Buffalo will be down one of its key contributors in this series as it looks to clinch its first playoff series victory since eliminating the New York Rangers in six games of a 2007 second-round series. Rookie forward Noah Ostlund went down with a lower-body injury in the first period on Tuesday. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff didn’t reveal what the injury was, but said, “it doesn’t look good.” Ostlund had just returned to the lineup from an upper-body injury in Game 3, in which he had a goal and assist.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens

When/Where to Watch: Game 6, Friday, 7 p.m. EDT (ESPN2). Series: Canadiens lead 3-2. This series has been an absolute thriller, with five consecutive one-goal victories, three overtimes and a host of late-game heroics by both clubs. Montreal is one win away from its first playoff advancement in five years, and the Bell Centre will be appropriately frenzied. The Habs got immediate help in Game 5 from Brendan Gallagher, who scored a goal in his first appearance of the series following four scratches. The veteran's grit and toughness around the net exemplified the way coach Martin St. Louis wants his players to approach the playoff-tested Lightning. Tampa Bay is one loss away from its fourth consecutive first-round playoff exit, but coach Jon Cooper's club can build on its gritty Game 4 victory in Montreal when it faces down the hostile crowd once again. \\\_ AP Sports Writers John Wawrow, Mark Anderson and Kyle Hightower contributed to this report. \\\_ AP NHL: