Golden Knights name goalie for Game 5 against Dallas Stars

The Golden Knights will start Robin Lehner with their season at stake Monday in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

Lehner will face Dallas Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin for the fourth straight game. The Stars are 2-1 in their three previous matchups this series.

Lehner is 9-6 with a .919 save percentage and 1.93 goals-against average this postseason. He started and won the Knights’ lone elimination game in the playoffs, Game 7 of their second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks.

Lehner posted a 14-save shutout, one of his league-leading four in the playoffs. The 29-year-old pending free agent will again carry the Knights’ fate on his shoulders Monday.

Lehner, however, might not be a free agent for long if the Knights lose. The Fourth Period reported he and the team agreed to an extension Friday, but Lehner denied it.

“It’s not true,” Lehner said. “It’s kind of annoying. Here in the conference final and people are saying things they don’t know. It’s adding on to this thing that’s been going on here, you know?

“If it would have been finalized, it would’ve been finalized. But it’s not. I’m here to win a (Stanley) Cup, not discuss this stuff.”

Khudobin has been sensational against the Knights and is one of the main reasons his team is up 3-1.

The 34-year-old Russian is 11-6 with a .918 save percentage and 2.67 goals-against average this postseason. He has a .952 save percentage and 1.64 goals-against average in the Western Conference Final.

One of the Knights’ key goals in Game 5 is making Khudobin’s life more difficult.

“We haven’t made it too difficult on him because he’s playing pretty good,” Knights center Paul Stastny said. “I think we look at a lot of those replays from the last couple games, I think sometimes we’re kind of double-clutching ourselves, overthinking. Sometimes you want to shoot far side, and all of a sudden, last minute, you see five hole and you try to change your mind. I think you just have to be confident in what you’re doing, especially when you have those chances in front.”

Khudobin has a .908 save percentage and 3.20 goals-against average when the Stars have a chance to eliminate a team. He is 2-1 as a starter and closed out Dallas’ first- and second-round series wins. His lone loss came in Game 6 against the Colorado Avalanche in the second round. He also appeared in Game 5 against the Avalanche in relief of Ben Bishop.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.