Golden Knights stun Avalanche in comeback win to take 2-0 series lead

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/colorado-avalanche/hACAnvBa/"]Colorado[/a] had previously gone 45-0-0 this season when leading after the second period - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vegas-golden-knights/fTT0TsUg/"]Vegas[/a] handed them their first loss with three unanswered goals in the third period. [/p][p]It's the fourth time this postseason that the Knights rallied from behind in the third period to win. [/p][p]Vegas goaltender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hart-carter/jeyiztUC/"]Carter Hart[/a] continued to be a brick wall in net, recording 29 saves against the Avs. The three goals the Avs have scored in Game 1 and Game 2 this series are the fewest they've scored in a two-game span all postseason. [/p][p]This also marks the first time the Avs have lost two games in a series this postseason. The last time the Golden Knights went up 2-0 to start a series was against the Dallas Stars in 2023 - the same year they went on to win the Stanley Cup. [/p][h2]Recap & Highlights[/h2][p]Despite both teams combining for 23 shots on goal in the first period (VGK - 12, COL -11), only one team managed to find the net before intermission. [/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/marner-mitchell/Agmv3YoI/"]Mitch Marner[/a], who looked to stay red-hot, almost got one by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wedgewood-scott/lAPibPUq/"]Scott Wedgewood[/a] to put the Knights up, but Wedgewood would make sure the star would be denied. And, in turn, the Avs would retaliate.[/p][embed guid="b33a5faf-b47a-455f-beef-1b2b9b01e435" url="https://x.com/BR_OpenIce/status/2057986135498842121?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/colton-ross/EX6HhoRd/"]Ross Colton[/a] scored his second goal of the playoffs, with assists from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/burns-brent/AB8dTWbh/"]Brent Burns[/a] (4) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kadri-nazem/SvDyIhqL/"]Nazem Kadri[/a] (5), to put the Avs up 1-0. [/b][/p][p]Colorado were 5-0 heading into this game when being the team that scores first.[/p][embed guid="324f43a8-d14c-453d-bb0d-141a00e94678" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjFpaH_oK1s" social-type="youtube" /][p]After no penalties at all in the first period, there were three alone in the first two minutes of the second, two alone on Colorado's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/necas-martin/lMcuOznA/"]Martin Necas[/a]. [/p][p]But the Knights couldn't capitalize on the opportunity after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eichel-jack/roOYYdOm/"]Jack Eichel[/a] was called for interference, leaving a 4-on-4 situation where neither team took advantage of the extra space on the ice.[/p][p]The Knights would go 0-for-3 on the power play in the second, Colorado 0-for-1, as neither team found the net in the second. [/p][p]Vegas only put up four shots on goal, entering the third with 16 total compared to Colorado's 20. But the Knights would quickly turn the tables halfway into the third. [/p][p][b]Eichel finally put Vegas on the board to tie things up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/colorado-avalanche-hACAnvBa/vegas-golden-knights-fTT0TsUg/?mid=SWMgWLJD"]1-1[/a] with his second of the playoffs. [/b][/p][p]It marked Eichel's 60th playoff point in 54 games as he became the third fastest U.S.-born player to reach the mark, sitting behind  [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stevens-kevin/Eg9VgHXo/"]Kevin Stevens[/a] (46 GP) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leetch-brian/ShyZiicU/"]Brian Leetch[/a] (49 GP).[/p][p]And before anyone could blink, the Knights would score once more on back-to-back shots on goal. [/p][p][b]This time around, it was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barbashev-ivan/0bfYBWDO/"]Ivan Barbashev[/a] with his fourth goal of the playoffs to put the Knights up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/colorado-avalanche-hACAnvBa/vegas-golden-knights-fTT0TsUg/?mid=SWMgWLJD"]2-1[/a] just two minutes later. [/b][/p][p]Barbashev recorded an assist on Eichel's goal, while Eichel recorded one on Barbashev's for his 16th assist. Meanwhile, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dorofeyev-pavel/4YwjaJ5r/"]Pavel Dorofeyev[/a] (4) assisted on both goals.[/p][embed guid="a3198fa1-4744-4cc0-ae93-f9b4934d8026" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ3e4rtUGyc" social-type="youtube" /][p][b]Barbashev would score once more for his fifth this postseason, this time on the empty net to make it a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/colorado-avalanche-hACAnvBa/vegas-golden-knights-fTT0TsUg/?mid=SWMgWLJD"]3-1[/a] game en route to a Game 2 victory as the Avs felt the effect of a missing Cale Makar for the second-straight game.[/b][/p][p]The stat sheet wouldn't matter in the end for Vegas, who were outshot 30-25 and lost 57% of the face-offs. Meanwhile, both teams combined for 0-for-6 on the power play.[/p][p]Now, the series heads back to Vegas as they're now two more wins away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals.[/p]