Golden Knights take a 2-0 series lead: Grades for …

The Vegas Golden Knights took a 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference finals with a 3-1 win in Game 2, stunning the Colorado Avalanche with the tying and winning goals in 2:07 in the third period.

How did both teams perform? Who are the players to watch in the next game, and what are the big questions facing the Knights and Avalanche ahead of Game 3 on Sunday in Las Vegas?

This was the Golden Knights’ seventh win while getting outshot in the playoffs, tying Montreal for the most in the NHL. It’s their fourth third-period comeback win, the most in franchise history in a single postseason. In Game 2, it was the Ivan Barbashev–Jack Eichel–Pavel Dorofeyev line that led the rally. That trio is now outscoring opponents 8-3 at 5-on-5 in this postseason — in stark contrast to what Colorado’s top line isn’t doing in this series.

Carter Hart had another strong performance with 29 saves. It was another night when the Golden Knights’ defense held the league’s best offensive team in check — albeit one missing star defenseman, Cale Makar. It was another win without the brilliance of captain Mark Stone, who was also out because of an injury. They are another win closer to the Stanley Cup Final, which is starting to feel like an inevitability.

It was going to take more than Ross Colton‘s first-period goal to defeat the Golden Knights in Game 2, and the Avalanche didn’t add to their lead before Vegas struck twice in the third period. Jack Eichel‘s goal was brutal. Jack Drury misfired on a pass to spring the Knights on an odd-man rush. Devon Toews was trying to defend against a pass that wasn’t coming, giving Eichel a ton of space to shoot on goalie Scott Wedgewood, who should have had it. Just 2:07 later, Toews couldn’t clear the puck and then turned it over to lead to Barbashev’s winner.

It was the first time the Avalanche lost a game this season when leading after two periods, having previously gone 45-0 in the regular season and playoffs. Colorado has two even-strength goals in the series. The Avs’ goaltending has been wobbly. The No. 1 team in the regular season, a team that appeared ready to claim the Stanley Cup, is now in deep peril.

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Players to watch in Game 2

The leading scorer in the Stanley Cup playoffs had some chances in Game 2, including two shots on a first-period breakaway and a point-blank chance on a third-period power play that was turned aside by Wedgewood. This was only the fourth game in the postseason in which Marner didn’t have a point. The Knights are in the driver’s seat for this series, and Marner can help put away Colorado with another big effort.

This is the moment for MacKinnon. He hasn’t scored a goal in this series, although he brilliantly set up Gabriel Landeskog‘s goal in Game 1. He had one shot on goal in Game 2, his second-lowest shot total of the postseason. MacKinnon is one of the few players in the NHL who can exert his will on a game, and Colorado desperately needs that to happen in Game 3.

One thing to watch: Coach Jared Bednar took Martin Necas off MacKinnon’s line in the third period, slotting Artturi Lehkonen on the top line.

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Big questions for Game 2

Will Cale Makar play in this series?

Makar was ruled out for the second straight game in the conference final because of what the team is calling an upper-body injury. The star defenseman has been skating, including before and during Colorado’s optional skate ahead of Game 2. It’s no secret what the Avalanche are missing with the Norris Trophy finalist out of the lineup: He’s a play driver at even strength, the quarterback of their power play and, along with Toews, forms one of the league’s best defensive pairings, which had a 69.9% goals-for percentage in the regular season. A diminished Makar is better than most defenseman, but he has been laboring all postseason.

Is the series over?

The Avalanche dropped two games at home to start the series. Historically, that means the odds are very, very long that they will rally: Teams that drop their first two home games in a best-of-7 conference finals or semifinals series have a 1-20 all-time record. The Red Wings were the only team to come back and win, beating the Bruins in the 1945 semifinals. Under the current version of the conference finals/semifinals format (since 1982), teams are 0-13 when they go down 2-0 at home in a best-of-7 series, per ESPN Stats & Info.

The Knights are getting solid goaltending, they’re playing stellar defense and their big names are coming through with big plays. Meanwhile, the Avalanche are broken in body and spirit. Are the Golden Knights basically Cup-bound at this point?