LAS VEGAS (AP) — A controversial ruling on what the Vegas Golden Knights believed was a legitimate goal created a pivotal momentum shift Sunday, allowing the Colorado Avalanche to build a commanding 3-0 advantage that proved significant in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final.
The sequence proved potentially decisive as the Avalanche work to overcome their 2-0 series disadvantage.
Vegas player Pavel Dorofeyev seemed to net a power-play score with 7:26 remaining in the opening period, but referees instantly nullified the goal and maintained their decision following video examination. The Golden Knights celebrated immediately despite the initial ruling being against them, going through their congratulatory routine while expecting the call to be reversed after official video analysis.
Referees determined on the ice that the puck deflected off Dorofeyev’s glove, as reported by the ESPN broadcast, and concluded the video evidence was not definitive enough to overturn.
Dorofeyev’s stick may have also been positioned above the crossbar, though it appeared to be approximately level with it.
Colorado capitalized on the momentum shift when Jack Drury broke free on a solo rush, using deceptive moves against Vegas netminder Carter Hart to net a short-handed score with 6:45 remaining, extending the lead to three goals.
