It was the perfect start for the Avalanche heading into Game 3. Cale Makar is returning, and they set the tone early by going up 3-0 in the first period. Though things turned for the worse, as we might have seen the Avalanche’s worst meltdown this season, as they crumbled, blew a lead, and fell 5-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights, now facing the prospect of being swept heading into Game 4.
The Avalanche start strong, just three minutes into the period as Devon Toews makes a strong move to the net to draw a penalty, but it’s captain Gabriel Landeskog who follows up right behind him to clean up the loose puck rebound and in to make it 1-0.
Avalanche keep their foot on the gas pedal as Josh Manson sends a great stretch pass to Martin Necas entering the offensive zone, who makes a pretty behind-the-back pass to Nazem Kadri and rifles it in to make it 2-0. Cole Smith takes the first penalty of the game as he is called for tripping, but the Avalanche can’t convert on their first power play.
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Nazem Kadri is called for high-sticking Jack Eichel; it’s only a minor. The Knights would convert on the play as Pavel Dorofeyev would track down his round and bat it in, but the referees immediately called the play dead as they motioned that the puck was pushed in with his glove.
The Avalanche continue on the penalty kill but manage to capitalize short-handed. Parker Kelly clears the puck, and it goes over the heads of the Knights players, leading to a Jack Drury short-handed breakaway, and he converts with a nifty backhanded shot to make it 3-0. Brock Nelson would take a tripping penalty just under a minute left in the period, giving the Knights a power play heading into the second.
It takes just 19 seconds into the period as Mark Stone taps in Mitch Marner‘s pass to quickly get the Knights on the board to make it 3-1. The Knights, early in this period, start as the more aggressive team, and it doesn’t help that the Avalanche are making a bunch of errors and giving the Knights more chances to get back into the game.
The Knights’ continued pressure is rewarded as William Karlsson finds a bobbling puck and rifles it past Wedgewood to make it 3-2 just four minutes after Stone got them on the board. Brent Burns is called for cross-checking, but the Avalanche penalty kill continues to stand strong and kills it off.
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Then disaster strikes, MacKinnon takes a shot from the blueline right to his knee and is down in pain, badly. He does need some help to get up and skate off the ice, but nothing too serious. He doesn’t head off into the dressing room immediately and tries to get some shifts in, but seeing him on the ice, he doesn’t look good, no explosiveness, one bit.
The Avalanche get another chance on the power play when Cole Smith is called for high-sticking, but come up short. The Knights’ pressure and the Avalanche’s continued strong lead lead to more chances, and it continues to hurt them. Keegan Kolesar bats down Dylan Coghlan‘s shot from the point and pokes it past Wedgewood to tie the game with seven minutes left in the period.
The period ends, and it might go down as the Avalanche’s worst period in the playoffs, if not the season entirely. Defensive breakdowns, errors in their own zone, and just not putting more pressure when being up 3-0 entering the period in a series down 2-0.
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Stone is called for slashing Wedgewood, but Ross Colton is called for roughing Stone, so both are sent off, and it’s two minutes of 4-on-4 that go scoreless. On a Knights rush, Tomas Hertl dekes out Sam Malinski, who has been having a bad game, and sends a backhand shot past Wedgwood to give the Knights the lead at 4-3.
The Avalanche gets another chance to tie the game when Marner is called for tripping Necas, but the Avalanche’s power play continues to fall flat. MacKinnon tries his best with a bad knee with the Avalanche to mount a comeback, with Wedgewood pulled with two minutes left in the period, but a Brett Howden goal seals the deal, and the Avalanche fall 5-3.
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Despite the Avalanche getting Cale Makar back and going up 3-0 in the first period, disaster after mistake after error follows suit, and the Avalanche collapse, now trailing 3-0. History doesn’t help them either, as the last time there was a reverse sweep in the playoffs was 2014, when the San Jose Sharks blew a 3-0 lead to the Los Angeles Kings.
Game 4 falls on Tuesday, May 26th, which could either see the Knights sweep the Avalanche and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals or force a Game 5 back in Ball Arena.
Avalanche Collapse Late As Golden Knights Flip Western Final In Minutes
