DENVER — Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev scored goals 2:07 apart in the third period, Barbashev added an empty-netter, and the Vegas Golden Knights rallied to beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals on Friday night.
Eichel and Barbashev each added an assist and Carter Hart turned away 29 shots for Vegas, which heads home with a 2-0 lead and a chance to close out the Presidents’ Trophy winners.
Game 3 is Sunday night in Las Vegas.
Ross Colton scored and Scott Wedgewood made 22 saves for Colorado.
The Avalanche led 1-0 when Pavel Dorofeyev fed Eichel as he skated down the right side into the circle and sent a wrister that beat Wedgewood to the far side at 9:15.
Minutes later, Colorado turned it over in its own end and Barbashev buried a shot from the slot at 11:22 to put Vegas ahead.
Wedgewood came off for an extra skater with 2:58 left, and Barbashev scored into the empty net at 18:57 to seal it.
Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb left the bench late in the first period, didn’t play in the second but returned in the third. Colorado defenseman Josh Manson went to the locker room late in the second period after going into the board head first while trying to check Barbashev. Manson returned in the third.
Vegas captain Mark Stone (lower body) and Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (upper body) were scratched for the second straight game.
The Golden Knights got off to a quick start, putting seven of the first nine shots on net, but Colorado struck first. Late in the first, Nazem Kadri sent a pass to Brent Burns at the point, and he put a shot to the net that was blocked by defenseman Kaeden Korczak.
The puck bounced into the slot, and Colton buried it at 16:59.
The Avalanche controlled much of the second period, holding Vegas to four shots, but neither team could score. The Golden Knights got even midway through the third.
–Field Level Media
