3 Takeaways From Golden Knights’ 4-3 OT Game 2 Loss

Throughout these playoffs, the Vegas Golden Knights have surprised their opponents with multi-goal comebacks to win games. Well, the Carolina Hurricanes stunned the Golden Knights on Thursday night in a 4-3 overtime loss in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Brett Howden and Mark Stone scored for the Golden Knights, while Carter Hart made 22 saves. On the other side, Logan Stankoven, Mark Jankowski, Jordan Staal, and Seth Jarvis scored for the Hurricanes, and Frederik Andersen made 23 saves.

The good news is that Vegas heads home for Games 3 and 4 with the series tied 1-1 after stealing Game 1, a game they easily could have lost. The bad news is that they were 10 minutes away from taking Game 2 and a commanding 2-0 series lead.

The Brett Howden Show Continues

In 58 games this season, Howden scored 12 goals and 22 points. With two more goals on Thursday, Howden now has 13 goals and 16 points in 18 playoff games and has at least a goal in eight of the last 12. He has now tied Jonathan Marchessault’s single postseason record from 2023.

This goal-scoring touch hasn’t come out of nowhere, as Howden scored 23 goals last season and three in 11 playoff games. However, this level of production was not expected. With names like Ivan Barbashev, Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Mark Stone on the roster, Howden has now become a part of the offensive unit that Vegas counts on night after night. Through 50 minutes, his two goals should have been enough to lift his team to a win in Game 2.

Penalty Kill Finally Falls Flat

Heading into the Stanley Cup Final, Vegas’ special teams had been exceptional, and while the Hurricanes’ penalty kill had also been great, their power play had struggled. On Thursday night, that narrative flipped and, essentially, decided the game. The Golden Knights were 0-for-4 with the man advantage, and they killed off their first two penalties, but the final two cost them the game.

The first was after an unsuccessful challenge by head coach John Tortorella after a Vegas goal was disallowed due to goaltender interference that resulted in a delay-of-game penalty at 15:00 of the third period.

“I saw a loose puck in front of Freddie,” Tortorella said. “Our player stabbed it. It didn’t move the goalie. It goes through him and into the other side. I’d challenge it 10 out of 10 times.”

On one hand, Tortorella’s thought process makes sense. There was no whistle, and according to the replay, the puck disappears in the chaos and pops out the opposite side of the crease and into the net. If he had won the challenge, the Golden Knights might have won the game. However, with the game tied 2-2, Staal’s go-ahead power-play goal proved the risk that might not have been worth taking. Stone eventually tied the game, so it didn’t bury them, but it was still questionable.

The second was an ill-advised tripping penalty by Tomas Hertl in the neutral zone at 3:17 of overtime. Seth Jarvis capitalized on it, sending both teams to Vegas with the series tied. Carolina has a very talented power play, and it was eventually going to break through. It’s just unfortunate that something that has been a strength all postseason ended up costing Vegas the game.

Slow Start in 3rd Period Bites Golden Knights

Holding down leads to close out games has been another trademark of the Golden Knights this spring. But, again, that did not translate in Game 2. Up 2-0 with 10 minutes left in the third, and playing well, it seemed like Vegas had the game in hand. But Stankoven scored at 10:20, and just over two minutes later the game was tied thanks to Jankowski’s first of the playoffs. Give Vegas credit for battling back after allowing Staal’s 3-2 goal, but those first six minutes of the third still cost them.

“I mean, obviously you would like to get two here, but that’s the nature of the game,” Stone said. “They’ve got a good team, so we’ll regroup and get on a plane and be dialed in for Game 3.”

When asked about the third period, Stone was more focused on their ability to battle: “I don’t know. There were a couple of turnovers that led to their goal. We battled back, found some adversity with the disallowed goal, and battled back.”

“I mean, look, we’re in the Stanley Cup Final,” Marner added. “This was never going to be easy. We’ve got to be a little smarter with some of our pucks here. Sometimes that’s how the game goes. I liked how we battled back, got back in the game, got into overtime, and, like I said, just got to keep advancing pucks.”

No lead is safe against the Golden Knights, and the Hurricanes learned that the hard way in Game 1. Well, now the shoe is on the other foot, and Vegas will have to focus on that moving forward.

Stanley Cup Final Heads to Sin City

For the third time in less than a decade, there will be a Stanley Cup Final game in Las Vegas. Game 3 will is on Saturday night, while Game 4 will be on Tuesday.