Overcoming the Odds: Golden Knights Overcome Three-Goal Deficit in Comeback Game 3 Win of the Western Conference Final Against Avalanche

The Vegas Golden Knights overcame a three-goal deficit against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday to record their first three-goal comeback playoff win in franchise history. Vegas also became just the second team in the last 30 years to post a three-goal comeback win in a Conference Final. Before last night, the Avalanche held a record of 52-0-0 during the 2025-26 regular season and playoffs in which they had a multigoal lead. The Golden Knights turned that to 52-1-0. Keegan Kolesar tallied the game-tying goal with seven minutes remaining in the second period, before Tomas Hertl scored the game-winner 8:21 into the final frame. Brett Howden sealed the 5-3 victory with his 10^th goal of the playoffs, tying the league lead with Pavel Dorofeyev for most goals. Vegas had a 6% implied probability to win before Mark Stone’s goal 19 seconds into the second period that sparked the comeback. 

Implied probability data is provided by BetMGM.

Pregame odds: Vegas +131, Colorado -157

1^st | 3:21 | Colorado Avalanche 1, Vegas Golden Knights 0 | VGK chance to win: 27%
Colorado’s captain, Gabriel Landeskog, opened the scoring for the Avalanche just over three minutes into the first period. 

1^st | 7:03 | Colorado Avalanche 2, Vegas Golden Knights 0 | VGK chance to win: 14%
Nazem Kadri scored his third goal of the postseason to double Colorado’s lead seven minutes into the game.

1^st | 13:15 | Colorado Avalanche 3, Vegas Golden Knights 0 | VGK chance to win: 6%
Jack Drury helped the Avalanche match a franchise-high for goals in the opening period of a road game by tallying a shorthanded goal to put Vegas down by three.

2^nd | 0:19 | Colorado Avalanche 3, Vegas Golden Knights 1 | VGK chance to win: 13%
In his first game back, Mark Stone led the charge with a power-play goal to get Vegas on the board early in the second period. Tomas Hertl sent a feed from Pavel Dorofeyev in the corner to Mitch Marner at the top of the left circle. Marner found Stone alone outside the net where he tipped the puck past Scott Wedgewood to give the Golden Knights their first goal.

2^nd | 4:05 | Colorado Avalanche 3, Vegas Golden Knights 2 | VGK chance to win: 24%
William Karlsson cut the deficit to one with his first goal of the postseason four minutes into the second period. Karlsson buried the rebound on a Marner shot through traffic to find his first goal and fifth point of the playoffs.

2^nd | 12:46 | Vegas Golden Knights 3, Colorado Avalanche 3 | VGK chance to win: 40%
Keegan Kolesar also picked up his first goal of the playoffs, tying the game with seven minutes remaining in the middle frame. Kolesar’s first attempt came off the tip from a Dyan Coghlan shot from the blueline. The puck hit the post, but Kolesar was waiting to finish the job and even the score.

3^rd | 8:21 | Vegas Golden Knights 4, Colorado Avalanche 3 | VGK chance to win: 77%
Hertl gave the Golden Knights their first lead of the game and effectively completed the comeback with a backhand shot from the slot after dangling Colorado’s Sam Malinski from the blueline. Kaedan Korczak posted the first playoff multi-point game of his career on a touch-off pass from Stone to Hertl on the rush.

3^rd | 19:01 | Vegas Golden Knights 5, Colorado Avalanche 3 | VGK chance to win: 100%
Brett Howden put the dagger in with an empty-net goal with 59 seconds remaining in the game. The goal extended Howden’s postseason career-high to 10 goals and matched Dorofeyev for the most goals in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Karlsson earned the primary assist, moving into sole possession of second most career playoff points in Vegas history with 76. Shea Theodore recorded a point as well, bringing his career playoff point total to 75, tying for the third most in franchise history.