Pavel Dorofeyev’s redemption pushes Mammoth to edge of extinction

Pavel Dorofeyev of the Vegas Golden Knights scored a hat trick in Game 5 of a first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series on April 29, 2026, helping his team push the Colorado Mammoth to the brink of elimination. The performance came just days after Dorofeyev was benched by head coach John Tortorella during the third period of Game 4, despite leading the Golden Knights in goals during the regular season. Tortorella credited Dorofeyev for his emphatic response to the challenge placed on him.