Golden Knights Rally In Third Period For 3-1 Win Thanks To Eichel, Barbashev Goals; VGK Lead Series, 2-0, With Game 3 In Las Vegas Sunday
By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — You know that Colorado vs Carolina Stanley Cup Final?
Don’t book those flights to Denver and Colorado quite yet.
A day after Montreal stunned the Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, the Vegas Golden Knights left Denver Friday night with a second straight win over the top-seeded Avalanche.
The Knights’ Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev scored third period goals with perfectly-placed wrist shots a mere two minutes and seven seconds apart for a final period comeback win against the dazed and confused Avs. Barbashev sealed the 3-1 win with an empty-netter with 63 seconds left in the game.
“I feel we played patient,” Eichel said on TV after the game. “Capitalize when we have opportunities . . . It’s a real gutsy effort.”
Knights goalie Carter Hart played another solid game and the VGK will be playing Sunday at T-Mobile Arena with a 2-0 games lead in the Best-of-7 Western Conference Final.
It was an unlikely scenario before the Colorad0-Vegas series, but the Golden Knights can sweep the Avalanche with wins in Games 3 and 4 at T-Mobile Arena Sunday and Tuesday. Colorado had the most points in the NHL this season. The Avs played without their star defenseman, Cale Makar, while VGK were missing Mark Stone.
The Golden Knights have won four straight playoff games — the final two against the Anaheim Ducks and the first two games against Colorado in the NHL semifinals.
John Tortorella, hired with eight games left in the regular season, was 7-0-1 to end the season and is now 10-4 in the postseason. Torts is 17-4-1 since replacing fired former coach Bruce Cassidy.
PSA
