Recap: The Golden Knights were looking to take a 2-1 series lead with a Game 3 victory over the Ducks in Anaheim. Vegas struck immediately into the game to take the opening lead of the game. Shea Theodore recorded his third goal of the postseason just :66 seconds into Game 3. The Golden Knights added a second goal 11 minutes later on the penalty kill. Brayden McNabb snapped a shorthanded goal to give Vegas a 2-0 advantage. With :05 seconds left in the opening frame, Mitch Marner added his fourth goal of the playoffs.
Marner added his second goal of the evening midway through the middle frame to stretch VGK’s lead to 4-0. Several shifts later Marner finished off the hat trick, giving the Golden Knights a 5-0 lead through 40 minutes.
Anaheim snapped Vegas’ shutout early in the final frame to get within four goals. The Ducks would add another but the Golden Knights added an empty netter to seal it at 6-2.
The Golden Knights take a 2-1 series lead by defeating the Ducks 6-2 in Anaheim. Game 4 of the best-of-seven Second Round series is scheduled for Sunday night in Anaheim. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:30 PM. (Recap by Jason)
Analysis: The Golden Knights were looking to not only win Game 3 but also establish some dominance in the series. Boy, did they ever. The 1st period was a little more open than VGK might prefer, however they were the far more opportunistic team and found a way to pot three goals on seven shots. In the 2nd, they completely took over and ran the Ducks out of their own building. It was a full-fledged butt whipping and the Golden Knights now have a series lead and an opportunity to grab full control of the series in Game 4. Perfect time for the best game of the season. (Recap by Ken)
Upcoming stories from Game 3 of the Second Round series between the Vegas Golden Knights vs Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center.
- Let the bodies hit the
floorpuck
Ken’s Three VGK Stars
*** Shea Theodore
** Jack Eichel
* Mitch Marner
Pistol Pete
Talk about flipping the script. And to think I had Coach Q’s training of his group simply steamrolling us the first two games.
Nice work Torts in staying the course. You know
Hertl and Koley are due.
Can anybody say Mitch Marner? His second multi-goal game these playoffs and first career playoff
hat trick and a natural one nonetheless. Make that a league leading 13 pts (6G/7A in nine games).
Great overall play by Jack Eichel including some of little things that are harder to see. 11 pts tied for second with Kaprizov and Hughes behind Marner.
Carter Hart 30/32 (.938).
C’mon Golden Knights let’s run the table on these turkeys and book our 5th trip to the conference finals in our first nine years.
Pistol Pete
That is the second PP goal for Marner under Torts’ revised PP lineups.
Missed that Stone went out not returning. Things went well without him but still that is concerning. Let’s say this is serious might it enable a move for Jason Robertson? Would have to be career ending for Stone which is both terrible and far fetched. Let’s face it though replacing Stone with Robertson there could not be a better scenario as sad as that might seem for our captain.
Pistol Pete
Carter Hart playoffs:
6-3 (2.39/.915)
Pistol Pete
As damn good as Marner was filling in for Karlsson at center when Karlsson was out he looks even better back at wing and with Karlsson nonetheless.
I would say with Stone out that puts Pav on the Eichel line permanently:
Barbashev-Eichel-Dorofeyev
Howden-Karlsson-Marner
We’ll see what Torts does on the Hertl line with Stone out: Smith-Hertl-Kolesar probably.
Pistol Pete
I get that this was four posts in a row but none is a response to the one preceding it. Each adds a new observation. This was
an exciting outcome to a difficult first two games at T-Mobile. VGK enthusiasts should be more than happy to hear another fan talking the win up. There is a lot to be happy about here especially if it goes well again on Sunday and we have a chance to close these turkeys out on Tuesday.
Also contrary to what my attacker claimed the PP changes are not specific to Stone being out this game. The coach had already been jumbling both units snd player positions since he took over. We all recall Marner QB’ing previously which Torts has partly dismantled.
McFly
Game 3 stats:
4 pages of scrolling to the next person
3 replies to themselves
2 hours till their post count increases
1 person that didn’t notice Stone was injured
Consider the measure twice cut once method of posting.
The PP changed because Stone was injured
How about we end the season before you replace our C.
Pistol Pete
Attacks are no longer allowed here.
TS
Pp, ,Post- game show observed that, usually the team.kind of collapses with Stone out for any length of time, bitb with the Marner/ Karlsson Offensive weapon, it takes the pressure off the team reliance on Stone as Playmaker..
Pistol Pete
TS I think we’re ok without Stone this time and you can be damn sure McPhee and McCrimmon are eyeballing Jason Robertson. What a catch that would be the perfect replacement for Stone however far fetched that possibility might seem!
Hdbiker7851
PP – stop you have Stone in the grave – your doing your best to look foolish and you are successing. This kind of narrative is of zero value. Your the first to point out negativism and yet when you are not looking thru your Rose colored glasses you are more negative than most. You have no idea of what’s wrong with Stone so stop procrastinating. Great win – not perfect by any means but good enough. Repeat performance Sunday would be nice but let’s hope so – the ducks aren’t going to lay down. Go knights go play hard and smart reward improves based on attitude.
TS
I don’t think so, either, pp. But the team.is better prepared, better stacked now to absorb the loss. We can’t replace his leadership and experience, but the younger guys are starting to pick up the slack. I do wish Eichel would step up more, himself . We need him to be stellar!!
DeezNutz
Unfortunately I don’t think the Captain will be returning anytime soon. Stone is so irreplaceable but whoever they bring in (Smith) will at least make us a tad faster but losing the Captain for the playoffs is devastating.
Goaltending A++
Defense A++
Offense A+++++
Completely took the Ducks momentum away in front of their fans. Play anywhere near to this on Sunday and we will be on our way folks
TS
Deez, i am impressed with your positive posts lately!! If YOU see the upside of our team play, it MUST be promising!
DeezNutz
@TS enjoy it while it lasts
TS
Deez:: HAHA, yeah, we know you have a wicked bite!!
rb7
MARNER !
that wasn’t a hat trick….it was a HARD HAT trick because the team put on their work boots and started playing like they should.
but, bad news if Stone is out long term. he gets hurt in the weirdest ways.
KnightWatch
Well played. A lot to like this go around.
Starting with the constants
PK lights out, Hart keeps on keeping.
That’s the foundation to which they built upon.
Marner on the express elevator upping his play every game.
Karlsson starting to look like Wild Bill.
Eichel hit the ammonia and pulled out of his slumber
However, obviously the most concerning issue going forward
is the status of Captain Stone.
Richie-Rich
Round 2 Game 3 Analysis VGK 6, ANA 2
The Karlsson, Marner, Howden line are rolling. Eichel contributing but still looks shaky out there at times. There was a shift where he had the puck on his stick skating around in his own zone and allowed himself to be stripped. Sometimes I think Eichel believes that he can skate threw anyone and around 2, 3 and sometimes even 4 defenders. Every time he tries it he loses the puck.
I really want to go back and watch this game again to see how many minutes Dylan Coghlan played and evaluate his contribution.
I believe that it is time to bring in Reilly Smith and sit either Hertl or Sissons. If Stone’s hurt that might not even be needed. Losing Stone is a major issue for our team.
I am wondering how Dorofeyev would peform if he was on the line with Karlsson and Marner?
As this game progressed the Duck domination diminished. Being up 3 goals was likely the reason, plenty of breathing room and less pressure. Don’t expect 3 goals leads like that going forward. It’s great to be up 2 to 1 in this series.
Did anyone see any fundamental changes to stop the Ducks rush? I’d like to hear from the experts on that.
On to game 4!
larry
RR im no ‘expert’ though I may at times purport to be( lol), but I think the answer to your question about the Ducks rush is fairly simple.
Get a quick score, kill off penalties. get another score, withstand their push in the first period, get another score and most importantly be up 3-0 which takes the wind out of their sails as well as their fans.
But the basic bottom line to the question is, having that lead means less pinching by the defenseman, less chances taken by the offensive players which leads to clogging up the neutral zone, and if they dump the puck in leads to easier exits because everyone is back in the defensive zone, its a great formula just not necessarily easy to attain.
As far as Coughlan, he was noticeable early because he was shaky handling the puck in the first period, but like the rest of the team settled down and played effectively on the 3rd pair.
vgk21
the Ducks line of Poehling-Gauthier-Killorn was the line burned by Mitch and Wild Bill and Howdy.
that Ana line was Minus 3 each, and John Carlson on defense was minus 4.
TS
WOW!! Single best Playoff game of our entire Playoffs so far!! Domination in all but maybe 4 minutes of the 3rd
.Hart has exceeded all expectations..Marner, paired with Karlsson, is a natural– what a duo these two are gonna be— Welcome back to fitness and greatness, Karlsson!!!
Just had a blast watching, lost my voice, now I truly feel our team has a fighting chance, some confidence and MOJO back—- GO KNIGHTS, STAY TOUGH!!
larry
That had to be the weirdest first period i have ever seen, Ducks completely dominated play carrying over what they had done in Game 2, forcing the action, forechecking and backchecking strongly, but yet due to superior penalty killing along with an excellent performance in goal by Hart, VGK comes out on top after the first 3-0…WEIRD!!!
Jake
Nice Win!
Theodore, “We like playing on the road so we can shut up the loud crowds.”
TS
Jake, Love it!! Coming from the normally subdued Theodore, that’s a CHIRP, by golly!! Who woulda thunk it??
Vic
Losing Stone of course is a problem as his production will be missed, but his replacement will bring needed speed against the Ducks. Next man up.
Three stars…Mitch, Wild Bill and Hart
Great win and icing on the cake….the great Randy Hahn calling the game.
JB
Oh-K, Ohhhhhh-K. Not bad, not bad at all! The boys just keep drawing you back in when things look bleak. Another no touch Stone injury. Back probably? Anyway very nice win!
Pistol Pete
It would require Stone being placed on career-ending or at least out for all 2026-27.
——————-
Mark Stone being placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) creates the necessary cap space for the Vegas Golden Knights (VGK) to pursue a high-profile acquisition like Jason Robertson, potentially using the $9.5 million AAV in cap relief to fit a top-tier salary.
Key Factors for a Potential Trade:
LTIR Relief: With Mark Stone placed on LTIR with no immediate return timeline, the Golden Knights free up significant salary cap space, allowing them to exceed the cap during the regular season.
Robertson’s Situation:
Jason Robertson, whose contract carries a $7.75 million cap hit, is considered a potential 2025 offseason target for Vegas if Dallas cannot extend him, as noted by ClutchPoints. He is viewed as a high-end target who would fit in the top-six forward group.
Feasibility:
While the cap space makes a move mathematically possible, such a trade depends on the Stars’ willingness to trade him and the Golden Knights offering a suitable package, with LineupExperts providing trade analysis tools.While this creates the financial room, there have been no direct reports confirming a trade for Robertson is currently in progress, though he fits the mold of a “star” acquisition for Vegas
McFly
More “derivative automated drivel”
Blah blah blah goes the ChatBot
Do you even read what it spews?
Your adding to global warming by spewing more co2 in the air with this tripe.
This season isn’t even over and your fantasizing about future acquisitions.
Pistol Pete
Hello ThG!
Pistol Pete
Attacks are not supposed to be allowed to stand on the site per the standards revisions applying to OT posting politics etc etc. Attacks of any kind are OT.
knights fan in minny
Get over yourself and quit being so nauseating
JB
There’s a difference between attacks and obsorvation! (sp)?
Pete Turner
Fantastic game. I think one key observation Torts made was about how much more clicking the team is playing when they are on the road and he attributes that to the fact that the team are staying together, playing together, eating together, hanging out together. One of the interesting thing Joel Quenneville did when he was coaching the 3 times Stanley Cup Winning Chicago Blackhawks was that he would sequester the team in hotels *even* during home games. Less distraction, greater focus and no sex does wonders to team cohesion/performance. Every little bit helps.
Hope Stone’s injury isn’t serious. Honestly it looks kinda scripted which opens the cap space for Riley Smith to return. Stone’s a real mensch for doing the unselfish thing.
Go Knights Go!
Leonard Wise
I think this team in the first 2 games was all pk and Hart. I think Stone reinjured something. Today Marner showed up in a big way. Karli showed how good he is when healthy and seems to be a natural with Marner. Finally Eichel showed up. Next game won’t be easy but so far Hart is keeping us in them he’s been outstanding.
Pistol Pete
I get that with respect to Jason Robertson we put it on the back burner because:
the here and now = winning the Cup
however, when I first brought up the subject a couple weeks back I did so because this player is a very very big deal. This would be akin to Eichel and Marner. Let’s just say the Robertson talks with Nix are reportedly at an impasse so it remains a big deal. I have ideas on how a deal could go down but for now I’ll back burner it so we can concentrate on Anaheim and beyond. Hopefully it remains at an impasse heading into July 1.
Ice Warrior
We attended Game 2 and it was one of the most depressing games I’ve ever seen. Thank God for this bounce-back! I’m going to be smiling all day.
Rrale
Nice win last night. PK and Hart played another really good game. VGK played like they wanted to win.
I hope Stone is not hurt long term. However, looking at when he got hurt it does not look good. I am thinking groin by how he reacted when it happened.
Pistol Pete
Yet another thought from PP this time concerning mainly Kolesar:
I was among a number advocating the scratch of Kolesar, however as is always the case a good coach and his staff always know best and so far he’s been kept in. I believe his penalty killing is a reason why. He has taken PK shifts in all the playoff games except one and there only because the one in the game went 4 on 4 early. Coaches value penalty killers especially when the PK has been this good. Koley also has a big bruising presence 5 on 5 and besides that effective penalty killing improves the player’s overall defensive play 5 on 5.
I suspect as well that Torts and his staff believe at some point Kolesar and especially Hertl will produce offensively.
John
Great game. I think the narrative from national commentators about the ducks being better is off. The knights are really beating the ducks up and neutralizing their skill players puck possession. Anaheim has good players but the knights have a lot of ‘grown men’ sized guys that can push them around. I see the knights wearing the ducks out as it goes along.
IMO Last night was a nice balance of D system closing down Anaheim but getting to the net and making simpler O plays.
knights fan in minny
Mitch is a bona fide NHL superstar His playoff run this year is proving that even more he does the big things and the little things so well Such a joy to watch Theo had a real good game Wild Bill is coming along nicely I love it dowd takes no crap from anybody on the ice What can you say about hart Solid again kolly Have to grab some pine We don’t just need penalty killers we need some guys who can contribute a little on the offense Riley Smith can kill penalties too and contribute Offense We will see what adjustments the Ducks make and if they win Game 4 the Whiners will be back Decide who you want to be a real fan or a bandwagon jumper
Pistol Pete
Agree
“if they win Game 4 the Whiners will be back Decide who you want to be a real fan or a bandwagon jumper”
knights fan in minny
Bandwagon jumper little nutz
Richie-Rich
I actually think that talking about career ending injuries and off season moves isn’t something that I want to focus on here in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. If we want to talk about Stone’s injury then that’s okay. I think it’s a groin and if that is the case the amount of time he is out is dependent on how bad the pull is. It could be a simple tweak, but once tweaked you never know when it is going to pull again. It takes time for healing. I’ve tweaked a hammy that put me out for a day or two, and then I have pulled a hammy where I was out for weeks. I doubt we are going to know the extent and won’t know if Stone is playing until lines come out at practice or possibly even at game time.
Larry
It’s a freaking shame if he is out for an extended period of time, after probably one of his worst games in Game #2 where everything he tried to do or touch was a disaster, he looked like the Stone we need before getting another non-contact injury, he is irreplaceable individually, so it will take everyone to do just a little bit more to compensate for his potential loss.