LAS VEGAS (AP) — A two-goal swing over a disputed no-goal call in the first period that resulted in a three-goal deficit could have doomed Vegas on Sunday.
The Golden Knights, instead, put the setback behind them and rallied to beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 and take a 3-0 series lead in the Western Conference Final.
Vegas forward Pavel Dorofeyev appeared to score a power-play goal with 7:26 left in the first period, but officials immediately waved it off and the decision was upheld on video review. The Golden Knights immediately celebrated despite the initial call with a run through the high-five line, believing the call would be changed after officials checked the video.
Officials ruled on the ice that the puck went off Dorofeyev's glove, according to the ESPN broadcast, and found the video inconclusive.
Dorofeyev's stick also might have been above the cross bar, but it was at least even with it.
The Avalanche then made the Golden Knights pay when Jack Drury found himself alone on a breakaway, deking Vegas goalie Carter Hart to score the short-handed goal with 6:45 left for the three-goal lead.
A lead that didn't last.
“Not super ideal, obviously, but I think we got a pretty big penalty kill after that and it kind of settled us down and the period ends,” Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said. "That’s probably the best thing that could happen to us, the period ends.”
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Colorado Avalanche's Jack Drury, left, scores on Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart during the first period in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, Sunday, May 24, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) CORRECTION: Name corrected to Jack Drury not Cale Makar.
Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog, right, blocks the shot by Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev during the second period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
ST. LOUIS (AP) — CJ Abrams became the 52nd player to join the 30-30 club, Cade Cavalli threw his 200th strikeout of the year, and the Washington Nationals took down the St. Louis Cardinals 9-1 on Friday night.
Abrams joined the Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong as the only players to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases this season. He is just the second National to do it, joining Alfonso Soriano in 2006.
Cavalli (13-5) struck out the side in the first, and finished with six strikeouts and four hits in five innings of work.
His 200th strikeout came on his final pitch of the night, and he became the fifth Nationals pitcher with a 200-strikeout season — joining Patrick Corbin, Gio Gonzalez, Max Scherzer, and Stephen Strasburg — just hours after inking a four-year, $47 million contract extension.
The Nats scored three runs in the first, started by Abrams' RBI single. Abrams then stole his 30th base, and an errant throw from Cardinals catcher Leo Bernal let Dylan Crews come around to score. Brady House added an RBI groundout before the end of the frame.
Crews started a four-run third with his 12th homer of the season, a two-run shot to right, and Yohandy Morales added a two-run double.
Daylen Lile hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth and James Wood had an RBI double in the sixth to round out the scoring.
Bernal had two hits for the Cardinals. Kyle Leahy (10-5) allowed a season-high seven runs (six earned) on five hits. He walked three and struck out one.
With the loss, St. Louis was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
Nats LHP Andrew Alvarez (2-6, 3.35 ERA) faces Cardinals RHP Michael McGreevy (7-9, 3.83) as the series continues on Saturday.
See AP's full MLB coverage here
St. Louis Cardinals' Victor Scott II is unable to catch a foul ball hit by Washington Nationals' Harry Ford during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)
St. Louis Cardinals' Bryan Torres catches a sacrifice fly hit by Washington Nationals' Daylen Lile during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)
Washington Nationals' Daylen Lile, left, congratulates Dylan Crews (3) at home after Crews hit a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)
Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)
Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams, right, follows through on an RBI single during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)
