Could Game 3 Stunner be Catalyst for Golden Knights Comeback?

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, all it takes is one play to completely swing the momentum of a series. By stunning the Edmonton Oilers late with 0.4 seconds remaining in regulation, the Vegas Golden Knights may have found their catalyst.

Allow me to explain.

Hockey is all about momentum; it’s all about seizing the moment and responding. Anything can change the momentum of a game– a big hit, a big save, a big goal. 

Sometimes, that moment is enough to change the outcome of a playoff series.

Perhaps the most famous instance of a series-changing moment happened during the 1993 Stanley Cup Final. After winning Game 1, Wayne Gretzky’s Los Angeles Kings were up 2-1 with less than two minutes remaining in the third period of Game 2 against the Montreal Canadiens. 

Then, the catalyst: the Canadiens challenged the curve on Kings defenseman Marty McSorely’s stick. 

That proved to be the right move. At 18:15 in the third period, McSorely was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for an illegal stick curve. Canadiens defenseman Éric Desjardins scored his second goal of the game on the ensuing power play, sending the contest to overtime. Desjardins completed the hat trick in overtime, and the Canadiens took Game 2.

The Canadiens won the next three games to win the Stanley Cup in five games.

In 2010, the Boston Bruins took a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference semifinal. The Bruins were completely in the driver’s seat and dominated the Flyers in Game 3 to take a stranglehold on the series.

Then, the catalyst: during Game 3, Mike Richards laid a huge hit on Bruins center David Krejci, breaking Krejci’s wrist.

The Bruins never recovered without their star center. The Flyers won the next four games and became the third team in NHL history to rally from a 3-0 series deficit.

Or how about a more recent example? In Round 1 of 2025, the Los Angeles Kings held a 2-0 series lead over the Edmonton Oilers. With all the confidence in the world on their side, they were well on their way to taking Game 3.

Then, the catalyst. 

After Evander Kane scored at 13:18 in the third period to tie the game at 4-4, Kings head coach Jim Hiller made the ill-advised decision to challenge the goal for goaltender interference. The goal stood, and Evan Bouchard scored just 10 seconds into the ensuing power play.

The Oilers proceeded to rattle off four straight wins to end the series, and for good measure, they took the first two games against the Golden Knights, too.

Reilly Smith’s improbable game-winning goal with 0.4 seconds remaining in regulation feels like one of those moments. 

Make no mistake: that kind of effort rejuvenates a team. Smith and William Karlsson singlehandedly snatched a win from the jaws of uncertainty. Instead of heading to sudden-death overtime, the Golden Knights stayed on the ice to triumphantly congratulate Adin Hill on the win.

Of course, one moment doesn’t miraculously change the course of a series. Teams overcome these challenges all the time– that’s why there aren’t more of them. Two things must happen for the Golden Knights to use Smith’s game-winner as a springboard for a comeback. 

First, they have to seize this moment. They have to carry that confidence and ride the wave into Game 4 on Monday. The Oilers will be desperate to wipe that loss from their minds, and the Golden Knights will need to withstand the storm early. And then, they have to win.

The second condition is completely out of their control.

It’s hard to imagine any team, even one who won six straight, shrugging off a loss like that. But, if the Oilers aren’t deflated by Smith’s late game-winner, a Golden Knights comeback becomes significantly less likely. The Golden Knights make their living capitalizing on their opponent’s mistakes, and a disheartened team makes far more errors than a mentally tough one. 

The Oilers may be able to forget Game 3 entirely. They didn’t play very well at all, so why does how they lost matter? They deserved to lose, and they lost. Game over; onto the next.

Or maybe they don’t.