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A disputed no-goal sparks a 2-goal swing as the Avalanche grab a 3-0 Game 3 lead

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) (David Zalubowski, Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

LAS VEGAS – The Vegas Golden Knights thought they had cut Colorado's lead in half in the first period Sunday, but a disputed no-goal call helped result in a two-goal swing and give the Avalanche a 3-0 lead that could loom large in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final.

That was a potentially critical sequence as the Avalanche look to fight back from a 2-0 series deficit.

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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 no 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.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl