Las Vegas blew a multiple-goal lead in the third period for the second straight game, but this time they managed to recover for a double overtime win, defeating Carolina 5-4 to go up 2-1 in the Stanley Cup finals.
This was truly a tale of three periods. In the first, Carolina put the Knights on lockdown, limiting Vegas to two shots. But Carolina couldn’t convert on their seven attempts, and the teams went to the second period tied 0-0.
Vegas’ offence woke up in the second, firing 14 shots at Frederik Andersen and scoring four goals.
Tomas Hertl started the frenzy with a power-play goal at 10:26. Jack Eichel dipped in behind the Carolina net before finding Hertl stationed out in front for the one-timer goal.
Mitch Marner doubled the lead 16 seconds later, getting credit for a goal that went off Carolina defenceman Sean Walker’s stick and past Andersen.
Marner scored his second of the night at 14:32, manoeuvring around Andersen with a backhand to make it 3-0.
Marner completed the hat trick at 16:52 with a slap shot just inside the circle.
Vegas was ready to count their chips.
Carolina tried to change their luck by replacing Andersen with Brandon Bussi.
The switch paid off early: Bussi stopped Marner on a penalty shot at 15:56, and what might have seemed insignificant at the time, loomed large as Carolina battled back scoring three goals in 39 seconds.
Jordan Martinook jammed home a loose puck in front of the Golden Knights net to make it 4-1 at 7:03.
Then Taylor Hall tapped in a beautiful centring pass from Sebastian Aho to make it 4-2 at 7:29.
Thirteen seconds later, Jordan Staal deflected a shot past Carter Hart to make it 4-3.
Late in the game, Shea Theodore was called for a two-minute delay of game, and then, on the ensuing power play with the net empty, Andrei Svechnikov slammed home the puck in front of a pile of bodies to tie the game 4-4 at 18:18.
The Knights were stunned, but managed to get the game to overtime.
It took a full extra period—5:38 into the next—and a lucky carom off a Shea Theodore shot but Vegas got the win. Theodore’s blast went wide, hitting the back boards, then ricocheting off the skate of Bussi and into the net for the 5-4 game winner.
Game four is Tuesday night in Vegas.
