RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Vegas Golden Knights said they remain confident despite the Carolina Hurricanes' stunning rally to win Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, which was fueled by a critical failed coach's challenge in the third period.
"Obviously, you'd like to get two [wins] out of here, but it's the nature of the game," said Vegas captain Mark Stone, whose third-period goal forced overtime before Carolina's Seth Jarvis delivered the 4-3 win. "We'll regroup and get on a plane tomorrow and be dialed in for Game 3."
Vegas had a 2-0 lead in the third period and controlled the game. The Golden Knights were 31-0-3 overall this season when leading after two periods. But Carolina rallied with three goals to take the lead and eventually won in overtime on a power-play goal by Jarvis. The Hurricanes became the first team since 1944 to win a Stanley Cup Final game after trailing by multiple goals in the final 10 minutes of regulation.
With a win, the Golden Knights would have effectively delivered a knockout blow. Teams that take a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final have gone on to win 91% of the time. Instead, they let the Hurricanes off the mat.
"We just stopped playing direct in some moments. That's what you have to do to stay successful, especially against this team," said Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner.
After forward Brett Howden gave the Knights a 2-0 lead -- and pushed his postseason-best goal total to 13 tallies -- the Hurricanes finally found new life as Logan Stankoven finished a hard-working shift with an unassisted goal, scored off of Vegas defenseman Jeremy Lauzon, to cut the lead to 2-1. Mark Jankowski scored his first of the playoffs just 2:26 later, after a great play by forward William Carrier to stay onside.
Carolina then took the lead on the game's most controversial call.
Vegas forward Ivan Barbashev skated in on Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen, who made a save and then another save after Barbashev collected a rebound. During a scramble in the crease, Barbashev reached in with his stick and the puck slid from under Andersen's glove into the net, a moment before the whistle blew.
The on-ice officials waved off the goal, saying there was goalie interference on the play. Golden Knights coach John Tortorella used his coach's challenge to contest the call but the "no-goal" was upheld with five minutes left in regulation.
According to the NHL Situation Room's official explanation, "video review confirmed the call on the ice that Vegas' Ivan Barbashev interfered with Frederik Andersen and impaired his ability to play his position in the crease prior to the puck entering the Carolina net."
NHL director of officiating Steve Walkom confirmed those details to a pool reporter, saying: "The ruling on the play was goaltender interference. He waved it [off] immediately. He believed that it was under the goalie and the Vegas player went after the puck and interfered with the goalie and his ability to freeze the puck and waved it off immediately."
The Golden Knights disagreed with that assessment.
"I saw a loose puck in front of Freddie. Our player stabbed it, didn't move the goalie and it goes through him into the other side. I'd challenge it 10 out of 10 times," Tortorella said.
Said Stone: "Goalie interference. That's what they said. I didn't think it was, obviously, that's why we challenged."
Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said he wasn't sure how Vegas goes through its "thought process" in determining when to challenge a no-goal call but acknowledged his own decision in Game 1 not to challenge a Golden Knights goal for goalie interference because it could have gifted them a power play.
"When it's called a goal or no-goal on the ice, it better be 100% to challenge it. That's the rule we go by. So, they called no-goal on the ice, so that's kind of how I think it worked out," he said.
The result of Tortorella's failed challenge was a Carolina power play for delay of game. Jordan Staal scored 25 seconds into that man advantage to give Carolina the 3-2 lead.
But the Golden Knights were undaunted. Barbashev drew an interference penalty, wildly falling to the ice after Jackson Blake made contact with him. Eight seconds after that power play was killed off, with goalie Carter Hart pulled for an extra attacker, Stone was credited with a goal that defenseman Jaccob Slavin accidentally knocked past his own goalie.
"We had some adversity with the disallowed goal and battled back, but just couldn't get over the hump," Stone said.
The game ended on a Hurricanes power play, after Tomas Hertl was whistled for tripping Staal. Jarvis scored his fourth of the playoffs on a one-timer at 3:56 for the 1-1 series tie.
"That was the best feeling in the world," Jarvis said. "We did a great job controlling our emotions. I think we never got too high and never got too low. Just kept responding, and that's what I love about this group is we always bounce back."
The Golden Knights played the last two periods without defenseman Brayden McNabb, who left for a local hospital after taking a shot near his visor in the first period. Despite being short-handed and squandering a lead, the Knights battled back to send the game to overtime.
This is the second Stanley Cup Final to begin with back-to-back multigoal comeback wins and the first time both teams earned victories.
"I mean, look, we're in the Stanley Cup Final," Marner said. "No game's ever going to be easy, obviously. The series isn't going to be easy. We knew that coming into it. We'll go home tonight, relax at the hotel, and then get ready to go home and do our thing."