The Vegas Golden Knights are hitting the road once again, and the script feels all too familiar. For the second straight playoff series, they find themselves tied 1-1 after dropping Game 2 at home, meaning their hard-earned home-ice advantage has slipped away—at least for now.
On Wednesday night, the Anaheim Ducks stormed back with three unanswered goals to secure a 3-1 victory, evening the second-round series. Beckett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson, and Jansen Harkins all found the back of the net for Anaheim, while goaltender Lukas Dostal stood tall with 21 saves.
The Golden Knights were staring down their third-ever home playoff shutout loss until captain Mark Stone broke through with just six seconds left on the clock, salvaging some pride. Goaltender Carter Hart was solid in net, stopping 25 shots in the losing effort.
The turning point came midway through the first period when Anaheim’s Tim Washe was whistled for goaltender interference, handing Vegas its first power-play opportunity. The Knights had already killed off two Anaheim power plays and seemed poised to seize momentum with what had been the third-best home power play of the playoffs. Instead, they failed to register a single shot on goal—a missed opportunity that loomed large.
This loss marks the fourth straight Game 2 playoff defeat at home for Vegas. Last season, they dropped Game 2 to the Minnesota Wild in the opening round before eventually winning the series 4-2. In the second round against the Edmonton Oilers, they lost both Games 1 and 2 at home, then dropped Game 3 on the road. This year’s opening round saw them lose Games 2 and 3 to the Utah Mammoth before rallying to win four straight. The Knights have now lost Game 2 seven times in franchise history, holding a 3-3 record after doing so in their first six tries.
While he didn’t score or factor into Stone’s late goal, Ivan Barbashev deserves a nod for his relentless effort. After scoring the game-winner in Game 1, Barbashev was held off the scoresheet for the first time this postseason but still led the team with five shots on goal, three additional shots blocked, and a game-high eight hits.
The Golden Knights and Ducks now shift the action to Anaheim for Game 3 on Friday night, with both teams hungry to take control of the series.