The Colorado Avalanche faithful were confident that a returning Cale Makar would make all the difference in Game 3. While Makar did have six blocked shots during the game, he wasn't the returning big name who had a massive game. That honor would go to none other than Mark Stone.
The Captain had a goal and an assist in a Game 3 win on Sunday, leading the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-3 victory. Tomas Hertl, Brett Howden, William Karlsson, and Keegan Kolesar also added goals for the Golden Knights. Jack Drury, Nazem Kadri, and Gabriel Landeskog all scored goals for the Avalanche.
In turn, the Golden Knights have a stranglehold on the series, going up 3-0. The Golden Knights have the ultimate chance to clinch the series on Tuesday, where they'll play at T-Mobile Arena for their third Stanley Cup Final appearance in nine seasons.
Nine seasons! Imagine how well Bill Foley has oiled the Golden Knights' machine. Freakin' remarkable.
The game saw plenty of controversy from the faithful, ranging from missed interference calls to no-goals. Let's dive into everything that made Game 3 an eventful one for Vegas, including a slow start and that controversial non-call.
Let's talk about the Pavel Dorofeyev "no-goal"
People give the Vegas Golden Knights a ton of flack for "having the referees on their side." It's a drawn-out conspiracy that people haven't had the courage to ask Jesse Ventura about regarding an investigation. But they should ask "The Body" about investigating the NHL refs after a blasphemous "no-goal" call in the first period.
The Golden Knights have a goal called back after the officials determine the puck deflected off Pavel Dorofeyev’s glove. pic.twitter.com/7eM1fQ7Wis
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 25, 2026
The referees thought that the puck hit Dorofeyev's glove rather than his stick. That led to a ton of controversy regarding the call, enraging the Golden Knights' faithful. Imagine what could've been if the referees actually... got it right. Still, it doesn't matter as the Golden Knights came back to win the game.
Alas, this has been an ongoing issue throughout the playoffs, where fans of all colors have blasted the calls. Even Oilers fans have blasted the referees for some calls (although some calls weren't wrong)! Ladies and gentlemen, we live in an era of incompetent refs and blind mice calling the games.
The Vegas Golden Knights must figure out the slow starts
Remember when I talked about the Golden Knights needing to get off to a fast start? Well, that didn't happen as the Avalanche blitzed Vegas with three goals in the first period. Landeskog, Drury, and Kadri all kicked off the goal-scoring for Colorado.
The funny thing about that first period is that Carter Hart wasn't having too much trouble with pucks near the ears. He was the victim of rebounds coming the other way, landing right in the lap of Avalanche players. Think of Landeskog's goal as a perfect example.
The good news? Hart settled down and settled in after that horrendous first period. The netminder stopped 30 of 33 shots, keeping Vegas afloat. In turn, the Golden Knights have a commanding 3-0 lead and are moving closer to their third Stanley Cup Final. While that's nice, you want to ensure that the goaltender isn't on his heels the entire night.
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