The Vegas Golden Knights held a commanding two-goal lead midway through the third period and appeared likely to take a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final back to T-Mobile Arena.
Then, Vegas unraveled and frittered away the game, with the most pivotal play arguably being a failed Coach’s Challenge by John Tortorella.
“I’d challenge it 10 out of 10 times,” Tortorella said defiantly after the game.
Vegas began wilting when Logan Stankoven ended Carter Hart‘s shutout bid, scoring unassisted on a backhand with 9:40 remaining. Two minutes and 26 seconds later, Mark Jankowski tied the game with a snapshot down the wing.
Vegas thought they retook the lead with a goal from Ivan Barbashev during a chaotic play in front of the net with five minutes remaining in regulation.
Barbashev’s first big chance to score came via a shot from the slot that was stopped by Frederik Andersen. Undeterred, the Russian winger picked up the rebound and tried to score on a wraparound at the other side of the net. Again, Andersen denied him, this time with a desperation stick save. As the puck lay in the crease, Barbashev tried to score for a third time, whiffing on his attempt. Finally, as the biscuit went under Andersen’s glove and body, Barbashev made contact with the puck and it slowly crossed the goal line at the far side of the net.
As Barbashev scored, the whistle blew and the goal was immediately waved off by referee Jean Herbert, stationed behind the net, due to goaltender interference.
After taking a closer look at replays, Tortorella challenged the call.
“I saw a loose puck in front of Freddie. Our player stabbed it, didn’t move the goalie and it goes through him to the other side,” Tortorella explained.
After a several minute review, that included a call to the NHL Situation Room in Toronto, officials ruled that the call on the ice stood and the no goal conclusion remained, keeping the game tied at two. According to the league’s explanation for the decision, “Vegas’ Ivan Barbashev interfered with Frederik Anderson and impaired his ability to play his position in the crease prior to the puck entering the Carolina net.”
After the game, former referee Dave Jackson elaborated on the initial call on the ice.
“The puck was possibly not covered, but what they determined was the goaltender was attempting to put his glove on top of that puck, it was right there. He was prevented from doing so by the stick hitting the glove.”
When Vegas’ challenge failed, they were assessed a two minute delay of game penalty. Twenty-five seconds into the Carolina power play, Jordan Staal made the Golden Knights pay, deflecting a Shayne Gotisbehere point shot past Hart and giving the Hurricanes a 3-2 lead.
Staal’s fourth of the postseason marked three (mostly) unanswered goals for the Hurricanes in just over five minutes. Per ESPN, they were the first team since 1944 to overcome a multi-goal deficit in the final 10 minutes of regulation in the Stanley Cup Final.
Mark Stone tied things back up with 1:21 left in regulation to send it to overtime.
But it was Seth Jarvis who scored 3:56 into OT to even the series 1-1 and help Carolina improve to 6-0 in OT this postseason with a 4-3 OT win.
While speaking to the media afterward, a combative Tortorella kept his comments short.
When asked what led to the team losing its momentum down the stretch, Tortorella replied, “I have my thoughts and I’m not discussing it here.”
What did he learn about his team during these two games in Raleigh?
“We have a good team,” he said. “A very good team.”
Puck drop for game three of the Stanley Cup Finals is set for June 6 at 8 pm in Vegas.
