Would Game 3 of the Western Conference finals be the first sign of resistance, or the next step in a coronation?
It turned out to be the latter, as the Vegas Golden Knights came back from a three-goal deficit in a 5-3 win Sunday to take a 3-0 series lead over the Colorado Avalanche.
Vegas entered Game 3 with a 2-0 series lead because it scored quick goals and absorbed and sustained pressure despite not having a massive amount of puck possession. All of those items were once again a factor in Game 3.
Here's a look at what happened, what it all means, who did what and the big questions for each team ahead of Game 4.
Colorado Avalanche
Grade: C-
Colorado made a few lineup changes for Game 3, and returning Cale Makar to the lineup was the most notable.
Jared Bednar also switched up his lines a bit. Artturi Lehkonen was added to the top line, while Nazem Kadri moved to the second line with Martin Necas, who had been on the top line. Nicolas Roy centered the third line with Ross Colton and Valeri Nichushkin. Those changes appeared to work at first, as the Avs built a 3-0 first-period lead. It created the belief -- at least for an intermission -- that Colorado might have found an answer.
Then, the second period began, and the Avs took a few steps backward. Mark Stone scored 19 seconds into the second, and William Karlsson scored less than four minutes later. It was the third straight game in which the Golden Knights scored a pair of goals within five minutes. Keegan Kolesar then scored the tying goal, and Nathan MacKinnon headed to the dressing room after blocking a puck. MacKinnon returned within the first four minutes of the third. He skated for a shift, but struggled to find his trademark pace; he came back later in the period when the Avs went on the power play.
Before that power play, Vegas' Tomas Hertl had scored the Golden Knights' fourth unanswered goal. It was another example of a power play that, despite the first-period goal, has had trouble getting in position and/or launching a shot this postseason. Throw in the fact that the Avs went more than 10 minutes without recording a shot on goal, and that pretty much sums up how the Avs went from being ready to force a Game 5 to being a loss from being swept.
Vegas Golden Knights
Grade: B+
The Golden Knights have come back from down a goal quite a few times this postseason. But rallying from a three-goal deficit to tie the score entering the third period is something different.
It started with Stone, who was playing in his first game of the conference finals and scored a power-play goal. That made up for the short-handed goal they allowed in the first period, in addition to the frustration of going 0-for-4 on the power play in Game 2.
Karlsson then scored his first of the postseason, with Mitch Marner notching his second assist of the night; another reminder that the Golden Knights relied on their stars throughout the playoffs. Yet it was Kolesar's tying goal that demonstrated the Golden Knights' depth; this series began with Dylan Coghlan and Nic Dowd providing secondary scoring in the Game 1 win.
Scoring four straight goals will grab the most attention, but there were other details in this one -- such as how Ivan Barbashev, Brett Howden, Cole Smith, Kolesar and Stone each finished with more than three hits out of Vegas' 34 total hits. Vegas pulled this off and had a shot share of only 41.82%.
Mark Stone tallies goal for Vegas Golden Knights on the power play
Players to watch in Game 4
Scott Wedgewood
G, Avalanche
The Avalanche have several candidates for this spot, ahead of what could be a season-ending game. So why Wedgwood? Bednar was vocal about the goals Wedgewood allowed in Game 2. Bednar could feel the same way after Game 3, especially when the Avalanche allowed 22 shots on goal -- the fewest Wedgewood has faced in this series.
Bednar shuffled his lines ahead of Game 3, looking for a different result. Could he do the same with his goaltenders, going to Mackenzie Blackwood, or does he stick with Wedgewood?
Mark Stone
RW, Golden Knights
Many wondered what the Golden Knights would look like if, and when, Stone returned to the lineup.
Stone had a goal and an assist, and was part of the defensive effort in which the Golden Knights limited the Avalanche to seven shots after they launched 28 through the first two periods. Having a two-way presence, such as Stone, who also had four hits, provides the Golden Knights with another option on both ends of the ice, in a series that has seen them rely on their entire roster.
Nathan MacKinnon blocks hard shot, needs help off the ice
Big questions for Game 4
How healthy is Nathan MacKinnon -- and what role will he play in Game 4?
MacKinnon returned in the third period, but he looked nothing like his usual self. He played fewer than four minutes in the third period -- a drastic change for MacKinnon, who is known for logging heavy minutes in the final frame of regulation whenever the Avs need a goal.
Are there other questions that should be asked about what's needed to avoid being swept? Absolutely. MacKinnon's presence will play the biggest role in that effort -- especially when the Avs are having issues getting goals from other players in their lineup.
Will the Knights' familiar strategy pay off and close out this series?
Place yourself in the Avalanche's position. It seems like the best strategy going into Game 4 is to control the puck as much as possible, limit scoring chances on the other end and do what you can to build a lead.
At the same time, that also plays into what makes the Golden Knights such a problem. They've shown this postseason that they can play without the puck for long stretches, before scoring back-to-back goals in a manner that can upend a game. Given that's how they've built a 3-0 lead in this series, those details lead to a sweep and return to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since winning it all in 2023.