Mark Stone hadn't played in weeks. Nineteen seconds into the second period, he had T-Mobile Arena believing in a sweep. Stone returned from injury to score the power-play goal that ignited a five-goal comeback from a 3-0 deficit, then assisted on Tomas Hertl's go-ahead tally as Vegas defeated Colorado 5-3 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals at T-Mobile Arena and took a 3-0 series lead. Carter Hart stopped all 22 shots he faced after the first period.
Knight of the Night
Mark Stone
Returned from injury to score the power-play goal that began a 3-0 comeback, then assisted on the go-ahead goal: 1G 1A, 4 hits, and a room-tilting presence in 15:45 of ice time.
How the Second Period Erased a Three-Goal Hole
Vegas entered the first intermission down 3-0 after a disallowed goal and a Colorado shorthanded marker compounded the damage. Tortorella threw Stone's line back out 19 seconds into the second and let the arena do the rest. Stone's power-play goal — a backdoor finish set up by Hertl's feed across the slot — cracked the seal. Karlsson followed with an even-strength strike on a Korczak setup, and Howden tied it before the intermission. The Avalanche forecheck that had overwhelmed VGK's neutral-zone structure in the first period suddenly faced a team winning board battles and executing five-foot exits. By the time Hertl buried the go-ahead goal off a Korczak-to-Stone transition play, Colorado had surrendered four unanswered and T-Mobile Arena had swung the ice tilt completely. Kolesar added the insurance marker to seal a 5-3 final.
Key Players
Mark Stone
1G 1A, 3 SOG, 4 hits, 15:45 TOI — Stone's power-play goal 19 seconds into the second period cracked Colorado's 3-0 lead and his primary assist on Hertl's go-ahead marker completed a two-point night that shifted the series to the brink of a sweep.
Tomas Hertl
1G 1A, 3 SOG, 2 hits, 13:23 TOI — Hertl's go-ahead backhand finish off a Korczak-to-Stone transition gave Vegas its first lead at 4-3 and his power-play assist on Stone's opener made him the only Knight with a goal and an assist in the comeback.
Kaedan Korczak
0G 2A, +2, 9:38 TOI — The third-pair defenseman contributed two primary assists in limited minutes, stood up Colorado's rush attack with his skating, and earned Tortorella's explicit praise for his insertion into a high-speed series.
Carter Hart
32 saves, .914 SV%, 22 consecutive stops — After surrendering three first-period goals, Hart stopped every shot he faced across the final 40 minutes, including critical saves on Colorado power plays that preserved the comeback runway.
Tortorella on Finding a Way and Stone's Return
Tortorella opened his postgame by praising his team's resilience against 'a really good hockey club,' then pivoted quickly to the work ahead. He highlighted Carter Hart's key saves on Colorado power plays as the structural backbone that kept the game within reach after the chaotic first period. On Stone's return, Tortorella noted the captain's importance 'before you even step on the ice, just to have the presence in the room' and credited his power-play goal for getting VGK back in the game. He also singled out Kaedan Korczak's skating as the reason the young defenseman drew into the lineup against Colorado's speed, and Dylan Coghlan's poise on Hertl's go-ahead goal as exactly the kind of play a third pair needs to make in a conference final.
This is a game where we showed some balls.
Playoff Journey: Three Rounds, Three Commanding Positions
Vegas defeated Utah 4-2 in the first round and Anaheim 4-2 in the second round — both series requiring the full six games but never trailing after taking control. Now the Golden Knights hold a 3-0 series lead over the Presidents' Trophy-winning Avalanche, one win from a sweep and a berth in the Stanley Cup Final. No team in NHL history has ever erased a 3-0 series deficit in the conference finals.
One Win Away: The Series Nears Its Close
- May 26: vs. Colorado Avalanche, T-Mobile Arena — 6:00 PM (Game 4)
- May 28: at Colorado Avalanche, Ball Arena — 5:00 PM (Game 5, if necessary)
- May 30: vs. Colorado Avalanche, T-Mobile Arena — 5:00 PM (Game 6, if necessary)