Mark Stone returned after missing Games 1 and 2 to explain how the Vegas Golden Knights turned a 3-0 first-period hole into a 5-3 Game 3 win over the Colorado Avalanche—one victory away from the Stanley Cup.
Vegas stepped into Game 3 with a problem that looked almost unsolvable: the Colorado Avalanche had already struck three times in the first period, turning the night into a sprint for the Golden Knights.
Then the Knights kept playing. They kept their game. And somehow. they made a five-goal swing possible—rallying from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Avalanche 5-3. a result that left Vegas one win away from advancing to the Stanley Cup and put Colorado one loss away from wasting what was an “amazing season.”.
Mark Stone described the moment after the comeback, speaking to Greg Wyshynski in an ESPN recap. Stone, who returned on Sunday after missing Games 1 and 2 and the back half of the series with the Anaheim Ducks due to an injury, said he knew what was coming once the Avs had found their rhythm.
“We knew that was going to be their best period of the season. You’ve just got to keep playing your game. You start turning it into a track meet against those guys, and they’re just going to make it 6-1,” Stone told Wyshynski.
Vegas watched that “best period” unfold early. The Avs held a 2-0 lead when the Golden Knights went on the power play. Pavel Dorofeyev batted in a power play goal, only for it to be disallowed. That didn’t slow Colorado for long. Another Avalanche goal followed, and when the first period ended, it was 3-0.
But the second period flipped the tone. Stone scored a power play goal, and William Karlsson added a goal to make it 3-2. Keegan Kolesar then tied the game. Tomas Hertl finished the turn by firing one past Scott Wedgewood to give the Knights a 4-3 lead.
From there, Vegas pushed the final nail in. Brett Howden added an empty-netter to seal the 5-3 win.
Whatever John Tortarella told his team after the early damage clearly landed. because the Knights didn’t let the 3-0 hole decide the story. The standings now reflect that fight: the Golden Knights have a commanding 3-0 series lead. If they can take the next game, they secure their second trip to the Stanley Cup in four years.
For the Avalanche, the margin for error has vanished. Colorado is now one loss away from seeing a season that’s been described as amazing end in heartbreak—right after a start that looked like it was building toward a series-ending statement.
Mark Stone Vegas Golden Knights Colorado Avalanche Game 3 Stanley Cup NHL playoffs 5-3 comeback Tortorella