Blown lead makes road split feel disappointing for Golden Knights
For a while there, it really looked as though the Vegas Golden Knights were going to take a stanglehold of the Stanley Cup Final. After almost two and a half periods of Thursday’s Game 2, Vegas held a 2-0 lead over the Carolina Hurricanes and seemed poised to win the first two games of the series on the road. What followed from there, however, was one of the most wild late-game stretches in recent postseason memory. Carolina potted three straight goals and Mark Stone scored with Vegas’ net empty to send the game to overtime at 3-3, leading to Seth Jarvis’ OT winner on the power play to give the Hurricanes a crucial 4-3 Game 2 victory.
On its face, heading back to Vegas for Game 3 with the series tied at 1-1 is a pretty good scenario for the Golden Knights. But the way Game 2 slipped away from them, which included an unsuccessful challenge from head coach John Tortorella that gave Carolina the power play on which they scored their third goal, has to leave a bitter taste in their mouth.
On Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, hosts Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discussed how the Golden Knights should feel coming off their Game 2 collapse.
Tyler Yaremchuk: If you had asked anyone in that Golden Knights locker room, inject them with a little truth serum, if they would be fine heading back to Vegas tied up 1-1, they all would have said yes. Getting the split to start a series on the road, that’s always the goal, but I’m curious, Hutts, the way that loss goes where you have it, you let it slip, the challenge, all of that stuff, does that make it sting a little bit more?
Carter Hutton: I think so in the fashion it happened, compared to if you were to get worked in Game 1 and then you have that momentum carry over. What I do think is important here is the veteran leadership in the room, and the fact that these guys have been to the dance before, so you have that to go on. I think the biggest factor that we’re going to be paying attention to is the health of Brayden McNabb. Can they get him back? But going back to Vegas, sleeping in your own bed, knowing that home ice advantage is coming your way with a tie, after a building where Carolina didn’t lose a lot of hockey games, they lost one headed into this final. I think having that split for them, there’s confidence to build off of knowing you can get to them and there’s not this impenetrable defense that Carolina brings.
You can catch the full discussion and the rest of Friday’s episode here…