The Western Conference Final entered its third game with the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche locked in a tight battle, each hoping to seize control of the series.
A Goal That Never Was
Midway through the first period, the Knights thought they had broken the deadlock. Pavel Dorofeyev redirected a puck past Colorado goalie, and the arena erupted as the players celebrated what appeared to be a power-play marker.
Video review, however, left the call inconclusive. Officials ruled the puck had struck Dorofeyev’s glove, and the goal was disallowed, turning a moment of triumph into a sudden shift in momentum.
The Knights’ celebration quickly turned to confusion as they watched the replay, hoping the decision would be overturned. Instead, the Avalanche capitalized on the confusion, generating a short-handed chance that would prove decisive.
Jack Drury slipped past the defense, deked past goaltender Carter Hart and slid the puck into the net, extending Colorado’s lead to 3-0. The goal arrived just seconds after the disallowed marker, amplifying the swing.
The early three-goal advantage set the tone for the remainder of the contest, leaving Vegas scrambling to recover as Colorado rode the momentum generated by the controversial sequence.