Vegas erased a 3-0 deficit to beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 on Sunday, May 24 in Las Vegas, taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals. Tomas Hertl’s third-period go-ahead goal capped the comeback as the Golden Knights moved within one win
By the time the third period began on Sunday, May 24, the Vegas Golden Knights were chasing more than a scoreboard. They were chasing a hole that had formed fast—3-0 early against the Colorado Avalanche—and they did it in front of their home crowd in Las Vegas.
Instead of packing it in, Vegas overturned the game. Tomas Hertl scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period. with Mark Stone and William Karlsson each adding a goal and an assist as the Golden Knights rallied to defeat the Avalanche 5-3. The result gave Vegas a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals. putting the franchise one win away from its third trip to the Stanley Cup Final in nine years. Game 4 is Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Carter Hart made 32 saves for Vegas, and the rally marked a milestone of its own: it was the first time in franchise history the Golden Knights won a playoff game after falling behind by three goals. Colorado’s effort, however, had started with momentum that looked like it would only grow.
The Avalanche jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening 7:03. Landeskog scored first by tucking in a rebound of a Toews shot inside the right post, then Kadri doubled the advantage with a wrist shot from the high slot that beat Hart’s blocker side off a pass by Martin Necas.
Then the game turned even more lopsided—at least at first. Pavel Dorofeyev punched in a rebound on the power play for Vegas. but the goal was quickly waived off because officials ruled he used his hand. wrapped around his stick. to guide the puck into the net. After a lengthy video review, the initial ruling was upheld.
Forty-three seconds later, Colorado made it 3-0 on Drury’s first career playoff short-handed goal. Drury slipped a backhand shot around Hart’s left pad at the end of a breakaway. Vegas had been outshot 16-7 in the first period, and the deficit looked like it might stretch further.
But the second period flipped the momentum quickly. Vegas needed only 12:46 to tie the game at 3. Stone—back after missing five games with a lower-body injury—made it 3-1 just 19 seconds into the period when he redirected Marner’s pass inside the right post for his fourth playoff goal. Karlsson followed with his first playoff goal. firing in a rebound from the edge of the right circle over Wedgewood’s glove.
Keegan Kolesar then made it 3-3, first deflecting a Dylan Coghlan shot off the right post and then tapping the rebound into an open net for his first goal and point of this year’s playoffs.
It was around that same stretch that Colorado’s evening became more fragile. A few minutes later. Colorado center Nathan MacKinnon—the league leader with 53 regular-season goals in the regular season—crumpled to the ice after getting hit on his right knee by a Shea Theodore one-timer he was blocking. MacKinnon saw limited time on the ice for the rest of the game.
By the time the third period arrived, Vegas was no longer playing catch-up—it had its chance to take control. At 8:21, Hertl broke the tie and delivered the game-winner, cutting inside defenseman Sam Malinski and snapping a backhand shot past Wedgewood’s blocker side.
Colorado made a late push. Wedgewood was pulled for an extra attacker with 1:45 to go, and Howden sealed the win with an empty-netter with 57.9 seconds left. Howden’s goal was his 10th of the playoffs.
Things didn’t end at just the final score. Jack Drury scored a shorthanded goal for Colorado, and Nazem Kadri and Gabriel Landeskog also scored. Scott Wedgewood finished with 18 saves.
The sequence of goals tells the story of a series turning on timing: Colorado jumped out early. Vegas weathered the swings through a tense stretch of reviews and missed chances. then tied the game fast in the second and finished strong once MacKinnon had gone limited. After Sunday’s win. the Golden Knights now hold a 3-0 series lead with one more victory needed to clinch their third Stanley Cup Final appearance in nine seasons.
Golden Knights Avalanche Western Conference finals NHL playoffs Tomas Hertl Mark Stone William Karlsson Carter Hart Nathan MacKinnon Scott Wedgewood Las Vegas Game 3
How did they even come back from 3-0?? Like goalies just switch off or what
That Hart guy made 32 saves but still gave up 5? I swear the numbers don’t make sense. Also Landeskog scoring in like 7 minutes?? Wild
Golden Knights always do this kind of comeback and then people act shocked. I saw something about Hertl in the third and thought that was the whole game, like it just started then. Avalanche had a 3-0 hole and still only lost 5-3 so maybe it’s not even that bad? Idk I didn’t finish reading it
So Vegas was down 3-0 and then Mark Stone and Karlsson magically caught fire… okay. But what happened to Colorado’s power play? Feels like refs messed with the momentum or something. Also Game 4 Tuesday?? I’m confused already because I thought the series was already over like last year