The Vegas Golden Knights overcame a slow start and regained the control of the game and the series with a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars, leading the series 2-0.
Jason Robertson gave Dallas a 1-0 lead at 16:47 of the first period on a power play goal. That would be the last time that Logan Thompson would let the puck go past him. Thompson finished the game with 20 saves in what was undoubtedly a bounce back game from game one.
“We expected them to come out and push hard that first five, 10 minutes and they did,” Eichel said. “We responded, we were able to come in here after the first period and it’s all tied. … They gave us all we could handle.”
Jonathan Marchessault tied the game 1-1 at 18:09. “We settled in eventually. You don’t want want 1-0 to turn into 2-0, so we did a good job with that,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Go into the intermission 1-1, we haven’t been our best, but we got through it.”
Noah Hanifin scored the tiebreaker with unassisted goal late in the second period. That would be all that the Golden Knights needed. Jack Eichel would add a empty net goal that would seal Dallas fate.
“We settled in eventually. You don’t want want 1-0 to turn into 2-0, so we did a good job with that,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Go into the intermission 1-1, we haven’t been our best, but we got through it.”
Game 3 will be Saturday night in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena where the defending champs are looking to defend their home ice.
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