Mark Stone OT Winner Gives Golden Knights Game 5 Win over Avalanche

After going down two games to start the series, the Vegas Golden Knights will head home with the chance to take it.

The Golden Knights used a late rally to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in overtime at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Tuesday to take a 3-2 series lead. 

Mark Stone scored the winner 50 seconds into the extra period to lead the Golden Knights, who have now won the last three games.

The Avalanche led 2-0 heading into the third period but couldn't hold off a late charge from Vegas. 

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Notable Performers

• Mark Stone, Golden Knights: game-winning goal
• Alex Tuch, Golden Knights: 1 goal
• Jonathan Marchessault, Golden Knights: 1 goal

• Brandon Saad, Avalanche: 1 goal
• Joonas Donskoi, Avalanche: 1 goal

• Marc-Andre Fleury, Golden Knights: 28 saves

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Avs Have Much-Needed Hot Start 

The Avalanche have struggled to get pucks on net since coming away with their first two wins in the series. Entering Tuesday, they were outshot by Vegas 110-52 dating back to the first period of Game 2, according to Nicholas J. Cotsonika of NHL.com.  

Head coach Jared Bednar split up his top line, moving Brandon Saad up to skate alongside Nathan Mackinnon and Mikko Rantanen in place of Gabriel Landeskog—a move that paid off. 

Saad put Colorado on the board in the final seconds of the first period. 

The goal was a major boost to a top line that had been shuttered as of late.

The shot totals were even at 10-10, but the Avalanche had a renewed energy heading into Game 5. That was clear in the number of takeaways they had—totaling eight by the time the horn sounded. In contrast, they had five takeaways in the entirety of Game 4, when they fell 5-1. 

They carried that momentum into the second frame, and Joonas Donskoi doubled the lead as the Avalanche tacked on 13 more shots in the frame. 

But their game wasn't nearly as smooth to start the third, as a pair of turnovers led to a pair of goals for Vegas, and an inability to overcome it sent the game to overtime. 

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Golden Knights Rally Late 

After one, the scoreboard wasn't reflective of what was an even first period in Denver. Vegas, which overpowered Colorado with its shooting in the past two games, ended up matching the Avs' shot total in the frame after getting decimated early. 

And even though the period was punctuated by a goal for the Avalanche, Vegas had begun to battle back after a hot opening from Colorado: 

It didn't hold for Vegas, as the Knights only got five shots off in the second period compared to 13 from the Avalanche. 

Whatever head coach Pete DeBoer said in the locker room in between periods clearly made a difference, as Alex Tuch got one on the board for Vegas just 63 seconds into the period. 

And just three minutes later, Marchessault potted the equalizer. 

After a dominant performance in the games preceding Tuesday's Game 5, the Golden Knights managed a late rally to keep themselves in it, and that momentum could be dangerous in what's left of this series. 

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What's Next?

Game 6 will be played in Las Vegas on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.