Recap: For the second straight game Minnesota came out to another strong start. The Wild scored quickly into Game 3 and doubled their lead later in the 1st period. Vegas coach Pete DeBoer challenged what would be Minnesota’s third goal for being offsides and his decision paid off. After the opening 20 minutes Vegas trailed 2-0.
The Golden Knights took control of the game in the 2nd period. Vegas captain Mark Stone got things going with his first goal of the series 8:39 into the middle frame. Patrick Brown dressed for his first playoff game and tied the game seven minutes later. Reilly Smith completed the comeback giving Vegas the 3-2 lead with his first of the postseason.
Vegas held off several Minnesota attacks allowing only four shots on net in the final period. William Karlsson doubled up Vegas’ lead to 4-2, and Stone added an empty-net goal to close out Game 3.
With their 5-2 victory the Golden Knights lead the first-round series with Minnesota 2-1. The series continues Saturday in Minnesota. Game 4 is scheduled 5:00 PM PT. (Recap by Jason)
Analysis: A tale of two games in Game 3 ended with the Golden Knights figuring everything out and sticking it to the Wild in the most impressive way. Who in the hell knows what was going on it the 1st period, but in the 2nd the best version of VGK showed up and played one of the most impressive periods in franchise history. They followed it up with a 3rd that was exactly the M.O. of this year’s team, shutting the door by suppressing shots and capitalizing on frustration. An absolutely massive win that now had the Golden Knights in great position in a series that looked like it was long gone after 20 minutes. (Analysis by Ken)
Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs Minnesota Wild Game 3 at Xcel Energy Center
- Film study on the best period in VGK history.
Ken’s Three VGK Stars
*** Nick Holden
** Reilly Smith
* Mark Stone
Let's talk about an unbelievable turnaround victory. https://t.co/K5iIuymawu
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) May 21, 2021
What a turn of events. What a way to win for the first time ever up in Minnesota. Wow.
VGK now lead the series and all the pressure now on Minnesota in Game 4.
A 2nd period for the ages. #FourTheCup
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) May 21, 2021
Transition born out of perfection when exiting the zone.
When the Golden Knights play like that, the Wild are no match! #FourTheCup
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) May 21, 2021
VGK absolutely outworking the Wild now!
Big play in the NZ to force the Wild from being able to change and then they battle and win in front of the net again. What team is this!?! I love it.
3-2!
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) May 21, 2021
LVsc
great comeback win! Brown and Holden contributed bigtime. good call on the offside challenge.
Captain Stone took control when the chips were down, and the team followed his lead.
great saves by Petro, and Fleury in the late moments.
gee, if only the power play could score
Howard
Get Reeves out as he is only good for hits. Plays crap D, adds little value; replace with Glass and PP will be better. It won’t be great, but better. Cody’s biggest strength are his soft hands and ability to net front. His biggest weakness that keeps him off the ice is his poor skating 5 on 5. If Cody could just figure that out, he’d be a top 6.
Howard
Ken proves he knows hockey by giving Holden a star. U bet man! He was fantastic in all aspects. His D was tight, and he made a really smart play on VGK 2nd goal by shooting the boards when he saw his shot would be blocked. This allowed a caram to the net front, causing Wild to be caught outside. This is what I wanted to see last year against Dallas as that kind of smart play breaks that pack 5 scheme by forcing them out of the middle.
George L.
Loved the contributions by Holden and Brown. Looks like we found two players that fit the play against the Wild.
The second period was mind boggling. Just hard playing. Gorgeous after a slow start to that period.
Pistol Pete
Just a huge win. Five unanswered goals. That is probably a VGK record.
Pistol Pete
0-5 PP. Why not scratch Kolesar and give Glass a look?
Howard
No, Kolesar is decent. Reeves is the guy you want out of there for Glass to replace on roster.
Pistol Pete
Good point I sort of forgot about Reaves but I doubt they will scratch him for Glass. I think they are wed to his physicality.
Blitz
Reeves is +1 with **25 hits**, 1 take away, 1 block for the 3 games and only playing 9 minutes a game. That is close to 1 hit per minute. Hasn’t been on the ice for an opponent goal yet. While I do cringe sometimes watching his line against a quality line the truth is the other team knows he is on the ice and are trying not to be on the wrong side of his checks. Plus the bullshit has been minimal from the wild, where that wasn’t the case when reeves was out at the end of the season. I think he brings an element to the game that can’t be measured watching him at 1/2 speed roaming the ice. To me the guy I don’t see a lot from is Roy.
Pistol Pete
Glass has only played 20 something AHL games. Theodore played 92, Tuch 57. Would one have looked at them early in their AHL careers and seen anything special? It seems nobody was really able to and like Glass they were high picks. I still give Glass a better than 50/50 chance of becoming a VGK scorer.
LVsc
Minny is beatable at home in the playoffs. just 14-21 now at home all time
Peter Turner
How about them slow starts eh? Two games in a row, we rope-a-doped our way into victory. They outshot us in period 1. We out shot them in the next 2.
I tell ya most teams after a first periods like that would have written the game off, totally given up, throw in the towel, we’ll get ’em next time but not VGK. They’re seasoned professionals when it comes to sucking in period 1. So they go back to their locker room and nothing much was said, no big speeches, no James Van Der Beek moment. Everyone knows it’s no big deal because that’s what they’ve been doing the entire season. No panic, no sky is falling. All they did was go out in the 2nd period and do what they’ve been doing all season long and took care of business.
Good showing by our taxi squad. I called Nick Holden out especially in my last post because I didn’t realize when he played for Colorado against Minnesota in the 2014 playoffs, he scored 3 goals. Who knew he’d be the Wild’s kryptonite but I’m glad he’s on our team. Patrick Brown is fearless when it comes to crashing the front of the Net. Someone needs to talk this guy’s agent.
No matter how it looked after the first period, I loved that MAF never stopped being super MAF. He kept us in it when we were down 2 goals.
Discipline again saved our butts from wasting time in the penalty box. Good job all round. Nobody does too many men on ice in the playoffs. That’s a sign that the team is in panic mode.
I love it when the Wild falls apart. They threw everything at us in the first period. We threw it back at them plus interest and vig. Keep it up guys!
Btw, Stone – 2 Karprizov – 0
Go Knights Go!
Tim
After that first period it didn’t look good someone be it coach or player leadership group got on there ass after that first period. The issue now is stay focused for Saterday’s game and let’s go home 3 – 1. Fleury should put a big S on the front of his sweater for Superman because once again he proves he’s the man.
Peter Turner
They asked Riley Smith in the post game conference if there was anything said by the captain at the end of the first period and he said no. They asked Mark Stone if he said anything to the team during the break and he said no.
However he sorta implied everyone knew what they had to do in the next 2 periods and they did what they had to do to be accountable to the team.
This is what VGK has been doing all season long. Stone gave some excuse about the long flight and guys not getting enough rest but found their legs in the 2nd period. Absolutely nobody bought that excuse.
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s SuperMAF!
GKG!
Pistol Pete
Here’s the words of Dumba following game 2, words that came back to haunt him.
“You’re going to see a totally different team even at home,” Dumba said. “We’re a different beast.”
THE hockey GOD
PDB = push button Pete was the one who said something after first period. I wish I was fly on wall in locker room after the first period.
After Game one Tuch was very outspoken.
Yesterday’s slate of games were the best of playoff series so far. The Islander fans are LOUD and CRAZY. That was a OK Corral shoot out. BRAWLS. OLD TIME HOCKEY. They need a second story for the penalty box (had half the team in there at one point)
The HABS beat a rusty Loser Leaf team (why only at game one , Canadians getting another break). And the PANTHERS are playing lights out, in the best ongoing series, finally taking one from the defending champs.
The VGK games are almost timid in comparison !
Pistol Pete
That game is more like the VGK that outplayed the Avs with a short bench. GKG!!!!
Pistol Pete
40-16 on the shots. My goodness!!!
Pistol Pete
Those were not softies including the one reversed. VGK made it real tough on Fleury there.
DOC (Go Knights Go)
FLIP IT …. AND WIN !
Flip the switch (after horrible 1st).
Flip a goal to a NO goal (after offside challenge).
Flip the puck away from Wild (to protect your shaky goalie).
Time to rest Flurey ….. Panda in game 4!
Mike
I like Lehner, but definitely not going to sit Fleury in game 4. If they didn’t start the playoffs with a rotation, there is no reason to play Lehner until something drastic happens.
Justin
Huh? Shakey goalie? Did you actually watch the game? Their goals were totally earned, cleaned goals. Both had the play one one side of the ice, Fleury positioned to battle them appropriately.
The first was kaprizov totally clean pass across the ice to Hartman who was skating towards the open side of the net. Totally unstoppable by any goalie in the NHL.
Second was a greasy goal where rebound literally goes off Fleury who is battling on the right side of the net, bouncing onto the tape of Erickson ek who was standing on the left side of the crease with wide open net. Totally unstoppable by any NHL goalie, unless u wanna criticize that there was a rebound in the first place, which happens.
Panda wouldn’t have stopped either one of those either, nor would vasilevsky or anyone else.
Fleury has given up 3 goals in 3 games in regulation. Why on god’s green earth would anyone be calling to bench him now? Is this being said just to be completely outrageous? Noone could possibly really believe this, unless you don’t watch the games or are routing for the other team…
Hdbiker7851
Doc – what are you smoking panda (the out of shape walrus) next game are you serious – you can’t be . Well you’re a Reaves fan so maybe that explains it. Reaves is taking a spot on the bench that another useful player should occupy. He’s not even a heavy weight fighter anymore – time to move on as he can’t skate to well either (slow).
DOC (Go Knights Go)
3 goals (one called back) in 5 shots is not quite a “Superman” performance IMO!
Flurey kept them off the scoreboard yes, but only faced about 10 shots the rest of the way.
Everyone knows I like BOTH our goalies, but it seems a perfect time now, to give Flurey a rest and put Panda in there.
Flurey can absolutely NOT play every game if we plan on going deep in playoffs. Panda’s turn in game four!
THE hockey GOD
Fleury was wavering a bit in the second and third periods with limited shots, but held the fort. The Wild seemed to be pushing him around a bit in the crease. The WALRUS is to big for that bit of nonsence. I thought the glove behind the back was a goal but he deftly hid the puck from the “eye in sky” cameras. Goals in first period were not his fault, the team did not show up for some reason in first period. Like they were still on the plane or still eating their snacks in locker room. VGK dodged a bullet when 71 wasn’t called on what looked like trip which injured WILD player. I’d stick with Fleury and hope for quick close out of series. And take rest before next series. I hope BLUES can win a game and extend the AVs series if they are capable without PERRON.
Daryl
We also dodged a bullet when Whitecloud wasn’t penalized for continuing to play without a helmet. All I heard adter our first loss was how lopsided the officiated was
Daryl
You and be serious? The only reason VGK is up and win a game at all is because of MAF. You criticize the goals but there isn’t a goalie in the league that could of stopped those shots. You put in Lehner and he doesn’t come close to moving around well enough to block half of those shots.
I actually hope Lehner does play…
Howard
Daryl; something is off a bit with this Doc guy, so I just ignore him.
Howard
Daryl; something is off a bit with this Doc guy, so I just ignore him.