Coghlan, Korczak making most of 1st Stanley Cup Playoff run with Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS -- The Vegas Golden Knights are known for their roster full of Stanley Cup Playoff experience, giving them plenty of veteran players to rely on when times get tough.

But in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final, two defensemen with little postseason experience made a significant difference.

Dylan Coghlan and Kaedan Korczak played critical roles in the Golden Knights rallying from a 3-0 deficit for a 5-3 victory against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday that gave them a 3-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.

They each had an assist on Keegan Kolesar's game-tying goal in the second period. Korczak's shot off the rush kicked off the boards and back to the blue line. Coghlan fired the puck on net where Kolesar tipped it off the post and then knocked in the rebound.

Then on Tomas Hertl's go-ahead goal in the third period, Coghlan held onto a puck in the Vegas zone and made a smart pass across to Korczak to negate an aggressive Colorado forecheck. Korczak then sent the puck into the neutral zone that Mark Stone one-touched to Hertl, who scored to give Vegas a 4-3 lead.

Coghlan didn't get on the score sheet on that one, but Golden Knights coach John Tortorella noticed.

"Coghlan made a great play on Tommy's goal," he said. "Just not panicking with the puck where a lot of guys would be flipping that puck out of the end zone. Then 'Korzy' makes a great pass for a little one-touch play. In this type of series, it's really good stuff."

The win put the Golden Knights one win from their third trip to the Stanley Cup Final in their nine seasons. They will have the opportunity to close the series in Game 4 at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday (9 p.m. ET, ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC).

"The fourth one is always the hardest one to get," defenseman Shea Theodore said. "We're going to expect their best. It's win or go home for them. So we have to match their energy."

Theodore recalled his first Western Conference Final, when he was with the Anaheim Ducks in 2017. He said he felt the pressure of the moment then. But now that he's in his sixth trip to the third round of the postseason, he's learned that it leaves the more games he plays.

"Over time, that kind of fades away," he said. "You're able to focus more on your game and not get too worried about the highs and lows in a series."

For Coghlan and Korczak, they had combined for one game of NHL playoff experience prior to this season, with Korczak playing one game for Vegas against the Edmonton Oilers in the second round last season.

Coghlan admitted to a similar feeling of nervousness during the postseason, but credited his teammates for making him feel comfortable being thrust into a playoff run after spending most of the season in the American Hockey League.

He stepped into the lineup in Game 3 of the second round against the Anaheim Ducks on May 8 and hasn't been out of the lineup since. He scored his first NHL playoff goal in Game 1 against the Avalanche, and has two points (one goal, one assist) and a plus-7 rating in seven games this postseason.

"It's a new opportunity and a chance to show a different side of my game," Coghlan said. "It's definitely pretty fun."

This is Coghlan's second stint with the Golden Knights. He made his NHL debut with Vegas during the 2020-21 season and played two seasons with them before being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on July 13, 2022. He returned to Vegas when he signed a one-year contract July 1, but played three regular-season NHL games and 62 games with Henderson of the American Hockey League.

Theodore, who trains with Coghlan during the offseason, noticed the growth in the 28-year-old's game.

"I always thought he was a great player," Theodore said. "He really stepped up. There was a kind of lull in our game where we needed some fresh blood. He came in and stepped up in some really important minutes and played really well. He's earned every bit of getting called up and playing in these opportunities, and it's fun to watch."

While Coghlan has emerged as a lineup regular, Korczak's path has been different. He played in Vegas' first eight playoff games but was scratched for Games 3, 4 and 5 against the Ducks, and again in Game 1 against the Avalanche.

Korczak had two of his three playoff assists in Game 3 against Colorado.

"His skating is a big key. That's why he’s in," Tortorella said. "His skating is such a strength of his against a really fast team. So high marks for him in stepping into the speed of this series."

Similar to Coghlan, Korczak is following the example that his more experienced teammates have set, whether it's blocking shots or delivering hits.

"It doesn't matter who you are or where you are in the lineup," he said before Game 3. "That's what it takes to win at this time of year. Seeing guys like (Noah Hanifin) step up in a huge way, for a young guy like myself, it's pretty easy to follow in his footsteps."