DENVER, May 22nd, 2026– During the regular season, the Vegas Golden Knights made their living off of seemingly unsustainable third-period comebacks. After their performance on Friday against the Colorado Avalanche, those third-period comebacks don’t feel unsustainable– they feel inevitable.
Through two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Avalanche looked like a team of destiny. They dispatched their opponents, the Los Angeles Kings and the Minnesota Wild, in just nine total postseason games. But after Game 2 of the Western Conference Final, that no longer appears to be the case. Now, it’s the Golden Knights emanating those ‘team of destiny’ vibes.
Advertisement
Game 3 of the Western Conference Final is scheduled for 5 p.m. PST on Sunday.
During the regular season, the Avalanche were 41-0-0 when leading after two periods. In the postseason, they were 4-0.
Now, that record stands at 4-1.
These Golden Knights simply always believe they can come back and win games. In the regular season, there were times when they managed to salvage at least a point from games where their grave was much deeper than a one-goal deficit. If they knew about the Avalanche’s spotless record, it didn’t faze them.
“We’re very comfortable in third periods,” said Noah Hanifin postgame. “All year, we played a lot of comebacks, and I thought we had a good game. We obviously knew they were going to push tonight after the last game, and I thought we handled it well, stayed composed and had a great third period.”
Advertisement
On April 24th, the Golden Knights lost Game 3 in Salt Lake City and fell behind 2-1 in their First Round series against the Utah Mammoth. Since then, they have been near-perfect on the road, winning all but one for a 6-1 record.
Of all those road wins, these last two are arguably the biggest. Going up 2-0 against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche is a big, big deal. They entered the series as heavy underdogs, and are now favored to win it and advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in franchise history. The Golden Knights also have a 4-1 record in franchise history when leading 2-0 in a series.
Since taking over as head coach of the Golden Knights on March 29th, John Tortorella has preached that having the right mindset matters more than the X’s and O’s of the game. No one expected the Vegas Golden Knights to be up 2-0 in the Western Conference Final against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche– that is, no one except for John Tortorella.
Advertisement
“We’re thinking about getting two,” said Tortorella during his pregame media availability. “We’re all-in, and we’re trying to get another one out of here.”
Up 2-0 and heading back to Las Vegas, the Golden Knights are in an incredible position to take a stranglehold on this series. It’s up to them to have the right mindset and take the necessary steps to get one step closer to the Stanley Cup Final.
“I guarantee you, we won’t [get caught up in being up 2-0],” said Tortorella following the 3-1 win. “I don’t have to say anything to them. They just understand the situation. I’m not sure where the series goes; I’m not sure where Game 3 goes. But I know I’m not gonna have to worry about that, because they get it.”
Read the full article here