Recap: The Golden Knights started Game 3 fast and hard carrying over their string play in Game 2. Vegas completely controlled the period outshooting Colorado 14-3 and earned two power play opportunities. The Golden Knights couldn’t convert either into a goal but they built some momentum heading into the intermission.
William Karlsson gave Vegas their first lead of the series 4:38 into the 2nd period but it wouldn’t last long. The Avalanche quickly evened the score 1-1 a minute and a half later and drew a late penalty. Vegas killed off the two minutes and preserved the tie after 40 minutes of action.
Vegas committed another penalty five minutes into the final period and Colorado pounced on the opportunity. The Avalanche scored immediately on the power play to take a 2-1 lead. 10 minutes later Jonathan Marchessault tied the game and Max Pacioretty gave Vegas the 3-2 lead.
With their 3-2 victory, the Golden Knights get back in the series now trailing 2-1. Vegas will have a chance to tie the seven-game series with a win on Sunday. Game 4 scheduled for 5:30 PM PT. (Recap by Jason)
Analysis: Once again, like Game 2, the Golden Knights did what they needed to do for most of the night. They made the game ugly and kept the Avs speed at bay. But, even with a great effort throughout, the scoring looked like it was going to be a problem. Jonathan Marchessault came up with yet another one of his magical monster goals. Then, moments later when the building was rocking, Pacioretty put a stick on a shot from the point and the Golden Knights restored the lead. 6-on-5 is a major mismatch in favor of Vegas, and they proved it in their first chance of the series. (Analysis by Ken)
Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs Colorado Avalanche Game 3 at T-Mobile Arena
- Matchups matter, even if DeBoer says they don’t
Ken’s Three VGK Stars
*** Alex Tuch & William Karlsson
** Max Pacioretty
* Jonathan Marchessault
That's what it takes to beat this team.
VGK has now done it once. 3 more needed. #FourTheCup
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) June 5, 2021
And another even bigger one! https://t.co/FVBmimRarW
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) June 5, 2021
MAX!!!!
VGK ARE ALIVE AND WELL NOW!!!
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) June 5, 2021
There's your hero!
When you need a massive goal, it's always the same man. Jonathan Marchessault, literally Johnny on the Spot!
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) June 5, 2021
knights fan in minny
hell of a hockey game
Pistol Pete
VGK 43-20 on the shots. Played similar to periods 2&3 of game 2, outshooting Avs 41-25 for the game. Should have won that one as well.
Ken Boehlke
Am I Howard?
Howard Scott Matusow
Lolol!! He’s bagging on me. AVS do have more talent, better shooters, etc, etc, but Vegas has BETTER STRUCTURE and last 2 games have used that to their advantage, Hockey is a team sport. AVS have a big weakness that VGK is exploiting – they HATE TO BE PINNED IN THEIR DZONE because they don’t have THE SIZE to fend off VGK forecheck and cycle.
The adjustment AVS need to make is slow the game down believe it or not. As Ken points out correctly – take away AVS ‘gap’ and you equalize yourself with them.
AVS love to skate into your zone with speed and gap. Every other team in the league plays back on them allowing them that gap. VGK challenges that with their SUPERIOR STICK CHECKING = that’s where VGK is more talented than AVS = what in part we mean by “playing heavy.”
Because a team has more INDIVIDUAL talent doesn’t necessarily means that they’ll win a 7 game series. The superior talent doesn’t win a 7 game series, THE SUPERIOR TEAM with superior structure wins and for 2 games now, that team has been VGK even though they are down a game.
VGK certainly can win this series if, IF THEY STICK TO DEBOERS superiors STRUCTURE.
Too many people bash on him as a coach., I think his system is fantastic and even more impressive is getting THE TEAM TO BUY INTO IT.
Case in point, who won 2012 Cup? LAKINGS – they weren’t the most talented team in the league, but they had THE BEST STRUCTURE, and sometimes that wins out.
Howard
Ken , please do me favor and reject my other post for obvious reasons, thanks!
Lolol!! He’s bagging on me. AVS do have more talent, better shooters, etc, etc, but Vegas has BETTER STRUCTURE and last 2 games have used that to their advantage, Hockey is a team sport. AVS have a big weakness that VGK is exploiting – they HATE TO BE PINNED IN THEIR DZONE because they don’t have THE SIZE to fend off VGK forecheck and cycle.
The adjustment AVS need to make is slow the game down believe it or not. As Ken points out correctly – take away AVS ‘gap’ and you equalize yourself with them.
AVS love to skate into your zone with speed and gap. Every other team in the league plays back on them allowing them that gap. VGK challenges that with their SUPERIOR STICK CHECKING = that’s where VGK is more talented than AVS = what in part we mean by “playing heavy.”
Because a team has more INDIVIDUAL talent doesn’t necessarily means that they’ll win a 7 game series. The superior talent doesn’t win a 7 game series, THE SUPERIOR TEAM with superior structure wins and for 2 games now, that team has been VGK even though they are down a game.
VGK certainly can win this series if, IF THEY STICK TO DEBOERS superiors STRUCTURE.
Too many people bash on him as a coach., I think his system is fantastic and even more impressive is getting THE TEAM TO BUY INTO IT.
Case in point, who won 2012 Cup? LAKINGS – they weren’t the most talented team in the league, but they had THE BEST STRUCTURE, and sometimes that wins out.
Howard
One thing I’d like to add. If Deboer was the coach in year one, we prob would have won the cup. I like Gallant, but his team didn’t have the structure needed to win a cup and The Caps exploited that with the 1-3-1 trap which allowed The Caps to break out of their DZONE with speed and gap and hung MAF out to dry.
Gallant was strictly a coach who instilled a wide open style of play and to be honest, we got VERY LUCKY against The Jets and MAF stole at least 2 games in that series.
The following video is a funny example of the 1-3-1 trap and Flyers just not wanting to even skate into it.
Pistol Pete
I do not particularly think the Avs are that much more talented in skaters or shooters. Anyways this is the NHL and differences are pretty razor thin. Execution is where it’s at.
Howard
AVS aren’t that much more talented individually, but they are in terms of line depth individually. Regardless of that, superior play normally wins out. AVS coach now talking about how they need to “outwork” VGK. I don’t think they can and not because of a lack of effort, but because of their lacking the size and ‘heaviness.’
AVS can outstake VGK though, but that doesn’t matter when VGK has superior sticks = what Ken calls “Shot suppression.”
Honestly, VGK loses this series if they can’t put that puck in the net with their extra chances – that was issue last year and it’s still an issue because this front office DID NOT go out and get center depth.
If VGK can get those ‘dirty goals’ and they stop overthinking their shots (like Max’s breakaway tonight, totally overthought) they will win the next 3 games and win this series in 6. I just don’t think any team in The NHL can outstick or consistently outshoot Vegas. However;
If we win next game, there is only 1 DAY rest in between games 4 and 5 = VGK could end up not properly acclimated to Denver elevation which seemed to be the big issue in game 1. AVS have a big advantage in this and you can thank our horrendous front office offseason cap hell UNNEEDED SIGNINGS for that and Mr. Lehner’s bed shitting several games down the stretch this year.
Vic
Obvious keys to winning the series…..Make Grubauer look human (score a few of the grade A chances) and allow their power play to score only 25% of the time instead of 50%. Teams are evenly matched and the VGK have outplayed them most of the time in games 2 and 3, and the last game of the season. You know the Avs are not sleeping as well tonight. OK VGK, the Avs peaked during the past two weeks, now it’s your turn to peak and win 11 more. Oh yeah, throw in some dumb puck luck.
The Loyal
You nailed it Bro.
Daryl
I’m guessing you are talking about me since the Pens are my favorite team…. Either way, it doesn’t really matter. Anyone who knows anything about hockey will tell you the Avs have more talent. That doesn’t mean the team with the best talent always wins. As I stated multiple times on here, I think VGK would win one of the next two games. It’s not easy to sweep a team in the NHL, even if you are playing a bad team. I expect COL to make adjustments and come out strong for the next game. Yes I think COL wins this series, but I also think VGK has a chance to win at least 1 if not 2 more games. That doesn’t make me no loyal or any other term you might want to us….. As you say, I call it like I see it, and that is how I see it ending
DOC (Go Knights Go)
THAT’S ONE …..
….. Story continues Sunday!
Theresa soles
Game 3 was MAGIC for us Vegas fans! Against formidable AVS, surreal goal-keeping by Grubauer, and down in the 3rd period, the VGK pulled off a seemingly unreachable WIN! The boys were down 2 games, down in game 3, yet they found a crack in the AVS’ powerful game— CUDOS and RESPECT to the VGK for not collapsing, as they have unfortunately done in past playoff games. And they won WITHOUT Reaves, WITHOUT questionable hits, WITHOUT serving numerous penalties. GO KNIGHTS!!!
THE hockey GOD
coach has big decision to make, bring REAVES back and sit 55 ? or someone else ?
team desperately needs to get 26 and 92 back into lineup , no. 10 has cost the VGK too much on PK (was on ice for two AV PP goals) when he wasn’t sitting in the box.
hdbiker7851
They need Reaves back in the line-up like they need a hole in the head. He is a liability to the team, unfortunately he wasn’t suspended longer. Rather than think about Reaves they need to figure out the PP if they expect to win – those are chances they can’t afford to miss – which they seem very good at. They can win again Sunday and even the series by playing like they have the last couple of games. They would just make it easier on themselves with a break or two on the PP which Colorado seems to enjoy giving them the chance knowing full well the probability of a goal is slim at best. The Avs message is we can man handle them without much concern – not scoring is one thing, the other has far reaching consequences.
Jason Mason
Vegas has given up power play goals in each of the Colorado losses, and the OT pp in game 2 killed them. As good as they were at killing pp’s in the regular season the playoffs are a different animal. They really need to stay out of the box. Fleury has done his usual great job, and has had help in keeping the CO shots to a low number, but playing short will catch up with them.
I’d hate to think that loss at the end of the regular season might be the difference in the end.
DOC (Go Knights Go)
So, last Knight, I wasn’t feeling vert well. I was trying to make thru the end of the game. But after the AVs scored in 3rd, off went the TV, took my Knight time meds, and went to bed.
Before going to sleep I’m thinking: This is bad, this is bad. HOW are we gonna get one puck, let alone, 2 pucks past Gruber? Man, this is bad.
This morning I turned on the game where I left off. For 8-9 minutes no change, the clock is running down. THEN, in 45 glorious seconds, we tie and WIN IT!
I kiss my wife, my dog, our cat! ha ha THIS is why we follow our favorite team as fans. Nothing before or what comes later matters right now.
For an old sick man, this kind of stuff is what keeps me going, Gives hope! Thanks boys!!!!!!