LAS VEGAS — How does it feel to control play, take most of the shots, and still lose like Vegas did in Game 1?
The Wild found out in the rematch.
After the Wild eked out a 1-0 overtime win on Sunday, the Wild and Golden Knights switched spots in Game 2 as Vegas overcame being upstaged early to rally 3-1 on Tuesday in front of 8,683 at T-Mobile Arena and even the best-of-seven series 1-1.
Game 3 of the first-round matchup is Thursday at Xcel Energy Center.
The Golden Knights scored twice in 4:54 in the second period to establish their first lead of the series, with former Wild winger Alex Tuch burying the go-ahead goal at 17:19 when he one-timed in a behind-the-net feed from Mattias Janmark soon after the Wild was back to full strength after killing off a Vegas power play.
Tuch also added an insurance goal on the power play with 53 seconds remaining in the third period, but goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was the backbone of this victory for the Golden Knights with 34 saves that helped Vegas avoid going into a 0-2 hole for the first time in its postseason history.
As for the Wild, the team is now 2-13 all-time in Game 2s.
Early on, though, it looked like the Wild might ditch that trend and return to St. Paul in the driver's seat in the series.
After a timid-looking start to Game 1, the Wild was much more aggressive on Tuesday.
In fact, the team dominated the Golden Knights in the first period and could have led by multiple goals if not for the stellar play of Fleury, who made 17 saves alone in the first.
He stopped shots in tight, from a distance and even had a sequence when he kept the puck out while lying down in the crease.
Fleury's best work in succession came when he made consecutive saves on three shots from Kevin Fiala, one from Victor Rask and another from Ryan Suter — five shots by the Wild in 27 seconds, this after the team managed just five against Fleury in the entire first period of Game 1. Overall, Fiala racked up eight shots and was the most dangerous skater on the ice despite not producing any offense — repeatedly getting foiled by Fleury.
The pressure had Vegas looking frazzled, a rare sight this season, but the action was scoreless until the second period.
That's when the Wild finally capitalized, going ahead at 12:07 on a point shot by Matt Dumba that sailed by Fleury while Marcus Foligno was setting a screen in front of the net. The goal was Dumba's fourth in his playoff career and first since April 15, 2018.
The finish continued a strong game by Dumba, who was a shot-blocking fiend in the first — regularly finding himself in the right spot at the right time. He made four blocks in the period, getting in front of shots from Chandler Stephenson, Brayden McNabb, Mark Stone and Janmark. Dumba ended the game with eight.
But the Wild had the lead for just 18 seconds before the Golden Knights responded, a shot by Jonathan Marchessault from the right faceoff circle that flew top-shelf on Wild goalie Cam Talbot — snapping Talbot's shutout streak to open the series at 95:45.
Later in the period, Ian Cole was penalized for roughing and although the Wild survived being shorthanded, Tuch scored the decisive goal soon after play was back to 5-on-5. Talbot finished with 25 saves.
The Wild had just one power play in the game, in the first period, but the team blanked on its opportunity — one of many unsuccessful looks in hindsight that came back to sting the Wild and send the series back to square one.
_______
