Will there be a return trip to Dallas for Game 6? Or will there be an extended stay in Las Vegas for the start of the Stanley Cup Final?

Plus, could there be another game that goes into overtime?

These are a few of the questions entering Game 5 of the Western Conference finals between the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN+) at T-Mobile Arena. A series that has seen three of its four games decided in overtime once again comes with a prize at the end for whoever walks away with the win.

For the Golden Knights, a win would give them their second Western Conference title in the franchise's six-year history. If the Stars win, they'd force a Game 6 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, knowing that captain Jamie Benn would be eligible to return following his two-game suspension for a cross-check on Golden Knights captain Mark Stone in Game 3.

Now that you know what's at stake, we've put together a guide on what to watch from each team, along with keys to victory from Ryan S. Clark and in-depth statistical analysis from ESPN Stats & Information.

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Vegas Golden Knights at Dallas Stars

Saturday, 8 p.m. ET | Watch live on ESPN+
Line: VGK -140 | O/U: 5.5

Clark's paths to victory

Stars must continue to get high-danger chances

What was different for the Stars in Game 4 compared to their three previous contests in the Western Conference finals? How about the fact they had nearly as many high-danger scoring chances in one game as they had in the first three games combined.

No, really. That's not hyperbole. Dallas had a grand total of 19 high-danger chances in 5-on-5 play in its first three games, according to Natural Stat Trick. Yet in Game 4, the Stars finished with 15 high-danger chances in those 5-on-5 sequences and were able to unlock a portion of the ice that's been central to the Golden Knights' playoff success.

Few teams have been stronger than the Golden Knights this postseason when it comes to limiting high-danger chances. They're allowing 10.5 high-danger chances per 60, again according to Natural Stat Trick. That's third in the playoffs. Only the Minnesota Wild and the -- yeah, you guessed it -- Stars have allowed fewer high-danger chances per 60 than the Golden Knights.

It's what made Jason Robertson's two-goal performance quite pivotal. Yes, there's the fact he now has four goals in this series. But the fact those goals came within 10 feet of the net and one of them came in 5-on-5 play? There's a chance that what the Stars did in Game 4 could serve as a blueprint for how to find success on Saturday and beyond.

Dallas must receive contributions from more players

Going back to Robertson, this series has seen him find the consistency that eluded him in the conference semifinal series against the Seattle Kraken. He went from zero goals in seven second-round games to scoring four goals through four games of this round.

You might be feeling a "but" coming on and, well, you're correct. Robertson has scored half of the Stars' eight goals this series, which once again reignites the conversation about the importance of receiving more offensive contributions beyond one player. On the whole, the Stars have proved they can get goals from everyone in their lineup. It's why they have had 16 different players score at least one goal.

That's tied with the Golden Knights for the most individual goal scorers in the playoffs. But it also comes with the understanding they might need more than just Robertson if they want to do more than force a Game 6.

Look at who have been some of the Stars' biggest contributors. Tyler Seguin, who is fourth on the team in playoff goals, hasn't scored in his past nine games, and has only one point in that span. Wyatt Johnston, who is tied for fifth in scoring, has not scored a goal or recorded a point in the conference finals. Until his assist in Game 4, Max Domi hadn't recorded a point in his past four games, while Mason Marchment has one point -- a goal -- in his past seven games.

Pay attention to the patterns for Vegas

Now that we have a little bit of time, there's something worth pointing out about the Golden Knights this postseason. They don't really lose that much. Their Game 4 overtime loss was just the fourth time the Golden Knights have lost this postseason. Furthermore, the Golden Knights have not lost consecutive playoff games this year.

As for what the Golden Knights have done after those losses? Let's just say there is a pattern within their pattern. They did it to the Winnipeg Jets after losing Game 1 in the first round, and they did it twice to the Edmonton Oilers after losing Games 2 and 4 in the second round.

Here's how those games have gone. The Golden Knights give up the opening goal within the first 10 minutes of the first period. And while the Golden Knights score a response goal, they've actually saved their most emphatic salvos for either the second or third periods, when they have broken out for three goals in a single frame in each of those games.

They put the Jets away with a three-goal third period in Game 2. They did it to the Oilers with a three-goal second period in Game 2 before doing it again with another three-goal second period in Game 5. And for those scoring at home? Seven of those nine goals came in 5-on-5 play -- which shows the Golden Knights don't need the extra-skater advantage to put teams away.

Don't let Roope Hintz cook ... anymore

You may have noticed Roope Hintz in Game 4. How could you not? He is, after all, a hulking 6-foot-3, do-everything center who has been so dominant that in 17 postseason games, he's one point shy of scoring a third of the points he scored in 73 regular-season games. To repeat: Hintz has 24 points in 17 postseason games, after scoring 75 points in 73 regular-season games.

Hintz had a pair of secondary assists in Game 4 that came with their own significance in that they were his first points since breaking out for three points in Game 1. Given the Golden Knights kept Hintz without a point for two games, what was it that changed in Game 4 that saw him grab two points?

It's possible it could be a matter of matchups. Natural Stat Trick shows that Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy consistently used his top defensive pairing of Alec Martinez and Alex Pietrangelo in Game 2 as a way of containing Hintz. Martinez logged a little more than 12 minutes against Hintz, while Pietrangelo was just a few seconds shy of 12 minutes against him in Game 2. The Stars' Finnish dynamo finished that game with two shots and zero points while his line as a whole did not record a single point in 5-on-5 play.

Cassidy used a rotation of defensemen against Hintz and his line in the four-goal win in Game 3, whereas Game 4 saw Nicolas Hague and Zach Whitecloud receive the most ice time against Hintz. Hague had 8:13 in 5-on-5 time against Hintz and his line, with Whitecloud checking in at 7:58. The result was they were on the ice for the game-tying goal in the second period. So, while Hague and Whitecloud are the seventh-most used defensive pairing in 5-on-5 ice time in the playoffs, it is also possible Cassidy could either use them or go back to Martinez and Pietrangelo in an attempt to tap into the success the latter had in Game 2.

Notes from ESPN Stats & Information

Golden Knights

• Vegas can clinch its second Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history (also made it in 2018). The Golden Knights would be the eighth franchise in NHL history to reach the Final multiple times within their first six NHL seasons, following the Edmonton Oilers (three times), St. Louis Blues (three times), New York Rangers (three times), Boston Bruins (three times), original Ottawa Senators (three times), Montreal Maroons (two times) and Toronto Arenas/St. Patricks (two times).

• Both of Vegas' goals in Game 4 came from inside of 10 feet. For the series, they've seen success when getting to net. Eight of their 13 goals (61.5%) in this series have been within 15 feet.

• William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault both recorded their eighth goal of the 2023 playoffs in the Game 4 loss. That is tied for the most goals in a single postseason in Golden Knights history with Alex Tuch (2020) and Marchessault (2018).

• Jack Eichel recorded an assist in Game 4, his 17th point of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. That is second most by a U.S.-born skater in his first postseason, behind only Jake Guentzel (21 in 2017).

• Golden Knights defensemen recorded 15 shots on goal in Game 4, their most in a single game in these playoffs. Game 4 marked the sixth time that the Vegas defense corps recorded at least 10 shots on goal.

• Adin Hill made 16 saves off the rush in Game 4. He leads all goaltenders in the playoffs with a .973 save percentage on shots coming off the rush, according to Stathletes.

Stars

• After going 1-for-7 on the power play in the first three games of the series, the Stars went 2-for-2 on the power play in Game 4, including the game winner in overtime. It was the sixth time this postseason Dallas had multiple tallies with the extra skater, and first in its previous seven games.

• In the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Stars are converting 32% of their power-play opportunities, which would be the highest by the franchise in a single postseason since team tracking first began in 1977-78. The current franchise record is 31% by the North Stars in 1983.

• Jason Robertson recorded his first career multigoal game in the playoffs, giving him 52 goals when combining the regular season and playoffs. In Stars/North Stars franchise history, only Brian Bellows (59 in 1989-90), Dino Ciccarelli (58 in 1981-82) and Mike Modano (57 in 1993-94) have more goals than Robertson's 52.

• Jamie Benn was suspended for Game 4 and will be suspended for Game 5 as well. In his place was 26-year-old Fredrik Olofsson, who played just over 10 minutes and had five shots on goal, which was second most behind Jason Robertson's 11. Olofsson became the third player in the 2023 playoffs to have a game with five shots on goal in 11 minutes of ice time or less, along with Daniel Sprong and Paul Stastny.

• Roope Hintz recorded two assists to give him a league-leading 24 points this postseason. Hintz's total is tied for sixth most in a single postseason in franchise history with Brett Hull (24 in 2000) and five away from the franchise record held by Steve Payne (1981) and Brian Bellows (1991).

• Miro Heiskanen had two assists in Game 4, his 10th and 11th assists of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, the second time he has reached double digits in the postseason. Only two other defensemen in franchise history have multiple 10-assist postseasons with the franchise: Brad Maxwell (twice) and Sergei Zubov (twice).

FRISCO, Texas — The Senior PGA Championship wasn’t Stewart Cink’s first choice for his first tournament after turning 50.

The potential prize would be a lot more than a consolation.

Cink shot a second consecutive 4-under 68 and trailed Padraig Harrington by four shots after the second round of the Senior PGA on Friday at the new Texas headquarters of the PGA of America.

Harrington followed his opening 64 with a bogey-free 68 and was at 12-under 132. Japan’s Katsumasa Miyamoto was three behind Harrington in his Senior PGA debut after a 69.

Steve Stricker, who won the first senior major of the season two weeks ago at the Regions Tradition, shot 67 and was at 7 under.

Making his PGA Tour Champions debut four days after his 50th birthday, Cink committed late to the event about 35 miles north of Dallas.

An eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the 2009 Open, Cink wanted to make sure he wasn’t in the field at Colonial in Fort Worth, about 60 miles from PGA Frisco’s Fields Ranch East course.

He didn’t figure he would get into the Charles Schwab Challenge, and he’s more than happy competing against players he used to see all the time on the regular tour.

“When I didn’t get into Colonial, I was not too upset,” Cink said. “I was looking forward to playing here as a backup. So it’s been a fun week. It’s at least lived up to my expectations and probably more.”

Cink still wants to play on the regular tour, specifically try to keep himself in the running for the lucrative events with elevated purses that were a response to LIV Golf.

“I’m going to have to have a heck of a summer to get in those, but I want to try to get in those, give myself a chance,” said Cink, whose second round was much less eventful with five birdies and a bogey after an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys in his Champions debut.

“I think if I just converted to this tour right away and played the rest of the summer right away, and just didn’t give myself any chance to get into those big tournaments, I think I would look back and say, ‘Why didn’t I at least give it a shot?’” Cink said.

Stricker holed out for eagle from 88 yards on the par-5 14th and surged into the top 10, where he has finished in all eight Champions starts this year with two victories. The 56-year-old has a Champions-record 47 consecutive rounds of par or better.

“I expect to play well. I don’t know wherever that leads me, it will lead me,” said Stricker, who almost holed his approach at the par-5 18th as well. “But I expect to get up there and play well and I have confidence in my game and what I’ve been doing lately.”

Cink and his wife, Lisa, a cancer survivor who is caddying for her husband, both turned 50 recently. They celebrated her milestone in Las Vegas and Zion National Park in Utah before going to the Bahamas for more partying.

“We’ve been doing a lot of celebrating and having fun and just kind of kicking back,” Cink said. “Sort of remembrance mode. We’ve been thinking back about how, just feels like it’s been like this (snaps fingers) that we just got started on the PGA Tour and now here we are getting started on a new tour at 50.”

Darren Clarke, the 2011 Open champion, and South Korea’s Y.E. Yang, a Dallas resident who won the 2009 PGA Championship, both opened with consecutive 69s. They are at 6 under with Alex Cejka (70) and Adilson da Silva.

“Yesterday, I didn’t play great and then finished off really strongly,” Clarke said. “Today I played nicely all day. Kept giving myself chances on the back nine there. Then made a poor swing into 16. Completely misjudged the shot into 17. So you make two late bogeys like that, that’s a bit of a sour taste in your mouth.”

A Brazilian raised in South Africa who is playing in the U.S. for the first time, da Silva reached 8 under before consecutive bogeys on the way to 71.

Defending champion Steven Alker is another shot back at 5 under after a 69.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Harris English quipped to his caddie that no one is beating him at Colonial’s par-3 eighth hole, which is true after he followed his birdie in the opening round with a hole-in-one Friday. There is only one player ahead of him on the overall leaderboard.

PGA Tour rookie Harry Hall from England maintained the solo lead through 36 holes at 12-under 128, making a spectacular save from the sand at that same par 3, for a three-stroke lead over English. After opening with an 8-under 62, Hall had four consecutive birdies midway through his second-round 66.

Hall’s birdie streak ended with a bogey at the par-4 third, his 12th of the day, when he missed the fairway and then came up short of the green before a two-putt from 9 feet.

In the final group of the day, Hall’s tee shot at No. 8 plugged into the side of the deep bunker fronting the green.

“I could only see two dimples,” he said.

After knocking the ball loose but failing to get it out of the sand on his first attempt, Hall saved par by popping it out on the next try. The ball landed at the edge of the green and rolled into the cup.

“When it went back into the bunker, it wasn’t too much of a bad, a hard shot,” Hall said. “I just played it like a normal shot and tried to get it high and spin it as quick as possible, and I did just that.”

English’s ace at the 170-yard eighth was part of his bogey-free 66.

“Hard 9 ... pushed it about 4 or 5 yards right of where I was aiming, but it’s a good thing that hole got in the way,” English said. “Just one of those shots where I struck it pure, right at the flag.”

His third hole-in-one on Tour was the first at Colonial’s No. 8 since Jim Furyk in 2011.

English was a stroke ahead of Emiliano Grillo, who shot a round-best 65 to get to 8 under. Adam Schnek (67), Byeong Hun An (66) and Robby Shelton (67) were tied for fourth.

Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player and Colonial runner-up in a playoff last year, had his second consecutive round of 67 and was tied for seventh at 6-under 134. Justin Rose, whose 11 PGA Tour wins include Colonial five years ago, was tied for ninth at 5 under after as bogey-free 66.

Jordan Spieth, still dealing with a sore left wrist, shot 72 both days to miss the cut. The 11th-ranked player had three bogeys and a birdie over his last four holes.

Michael Block, the 46-year-old club pro from California who became a sensation for everyday golfers by tying for 15th Sunday in the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, was last in the 120-player Colonial field at 15-over 155. After his opening 81, he was seven strokes better with a 74 that included back-to-back birdies midway through the round.

It was an exhausting span for Block, who hit only 11 of 28 fairways over two rounds, but was still mingling with fans — signing autographs and taking photos — hours after his final putt before flying home.

Other than the hole-in-one, it was just a steady round for four-time Tour winner English, who had a third-place finish earlier this month at the Wells Fargo Championship. He hit 11 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens.

“When I did get in trouble off the tee or around the green, I got up and down. Made a really nice par on No. 9,” English said. “I had a lot of seemed like 15 or 20-footers and didn’t make much ... But as long as I keep that ball-striking going and keep giving myself chances, then some good things will happen this weekend.”

Coming off the hole-in-one, English drove into the right rough at No. 9 and then into a greenside bunker before blasting to 6 feet and made the par-saving putt. His only birdie on the back nine was the 12th, when he made a 17-footer off the fringe.

Grillo, the 30-year-old from Argentina, was even on the round before making the turn with a birdie from a greenside bunker at the 389-yard 10th. That was the first of five backside birdies, including long putts on both par 3s — from 19 foot at No. 13, and nearly 38 feet at the 16th — before an approach to 7 feet at No. 18.

“It’s a lot of different clubs off the tee. Got to keep it in the fairway, got to keep it on the green. I would think that’s my strong part of the game,” Grillo said. “I was lucky enough to make a few good putts on the back nine. So happy to finish with a great shot on 18, and a good putt.”

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Anna Nordqvist had all three of her matches go the distance, and only a clutch wedge kept her from playing even more Friday as she was among 16 players who advanced out of group play in the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play.

Nordqvist would have faced a three-way playoff if she lost to Andrea Lee. That appeared likely when the Swede hit into the creek in front of the 18th green at Shadow Creek while Lee was on the green some 50 feet from the hole.

Nordqvist, the top seed in her group, hit a wedge that caught the back slope and settled 3 feet away and Lee three-putted for bogey to halve the match and send Nordqvist (2-0-1 in group play) into the weekend.

“I hit a good wedge in there to tie the match,” Nordqvist said. “I’m very happy to move on.”

Cheyenne Knight was just as clutch, minus the water. She came in 2-0 in her group and needed only to halve her match against Sei Young Kim to advance. Otherwise, Knight would have faced a three-way playoff.

Kim was 1 up and went just long of the green at 18. Knight hit a sand wedge from 85 yards and caught the slope and stopped 2 inches from going in for eagle. Kim missed her chip, conceded the halve and Knight was headed to the knockout stage.

The weekend at Shadow Creek has a European flavor in a Solheim Cup year, eight Europeans among the 16 players remaining.

Five of those players won all three of their matches in group play. That includes Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland, who took out Lilia Vu in the first round and never gave her another chance. Vu was the top seed in the 64-player field coming off her first major at the Chevron Championship.

“It feels great,” Valenzuela said. “I also know how match play is. You can win three points. It doesn’t matter tomorrow. It’s just a huge reset.”

The next highest seed, Brooke Henderson of Canada, lost her opening match and never recovered. Sophia Schubert won her match to take the group.

The highest seed still alive is Celine Boutier of France (3), who went 3-0 in group play.

Only one group went to a sudden-death playoff. Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand lost to Karis Davidson, and they headed back to the 18th for a playoff.

The Thai hit what looked to be the perfect drive down the right side, bounding along the first cut when it came to rest in a deep divot. Anannarukarn ripped it out of there and onto the green, and she wound up winning with a 3-foot par when Davidson missed the green long.

“I was thinking, ‘Out of all the places, I’m in the divot.’ But you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” Anannarukarn said. “Try to hit the green. And it was ... just perfect.”

Alison Lee, who now lives in Las Vegas and occasionally plays at Shadow Creek, halved two matches and then faced fellow Vegas resident Danielle Kang in a group that at one point looked as if it might have a four-way playoff.

Lee seized control late, and Kang’s last hope was to play a left-handed chip because her ball was just outside a bunker. That flew the green and Lee advanced when Muni He lost to Maria Fassi.

Only seven of the top seeds in the 16 groups advanced. The others were Ayaka Furue (6) of Japan; Leona Maguire (7) of Ireland; Linn Grant (8) and Maja Stark (11) of Sweden; and Carlota Ciganda (12) of Spain.

Rose Zhang's illustrious amateur career – and arguably greatest by a female ever – is over.

The 20-year-old Zhang announced Friday morning that she would be foregoing her final two years of college eligibility and turning professional in time to make her pro debut at next week's Mizuho Americas Open on the LPGA.

"I appreciate everyone who continues to believe and support in me as I will be embarking on this new chapter in my life," Zhang penned on her Instagram. "With faith in God’s plan, I’m stoked for what’s to come."

Before she embarks on a busy summer schedule, which also includes starts in the four remaining majors as well as three other LPGA starts (Dana Open, CP Women's Open and Queen City Championship), the College Golf Talk podcast caught up with Zhang just hours after her big announcement.

In this special episode, Brentley Romine welcomes Zhang, and for over a half hour, they talk about her big decision, her emotional Stanford goodbye at Grayhawk, the people who helped shape her, her G.O.A.T. title and much, much more.