Rocky Mountain high: Knights stun Avalanche in Game 2, take commanding lead in West Final

DENVER — Ivan Barbashev felt his line had more to give.

Barbashev, Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev came within inches of converting on a couple chances on Wednesday. They were a fraction off.

“To be honest, I think we can play better,” Barbashev said the next day. “I don’t think we’ve found our best as a line.”

The top line found its best, and the Vegas Golden Knights are halfway home to the Stanley Cup Final because of it, thanks to a 3-1 win in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on Friday.

The Avalanche were 10 minutes away from sending the series back to Las Vegas tied.

But Eichel, who hadn’t scored “in a million days,” he told ESPN after the game — AKA, Game 3 of the first round on April 24 — fired a wrist shot from the right circle that hit the post and in at 9:15 to tie it 1-1.

Barbashev, after Dorofeyev batted the puck down twice to keep it in the zone, let a wrist shot go from the high slot 2:07 later to give the Knights the lead.

“I think the whole shift was kind of back and forth,” said Barbashev, who scored his first goals since May 4. “I think Pav and Jack just kept putting pressure on them, and we got a turnover.”

Barbashev added an empty-netter with 1:03 left to seal it.

The Knights, incredibly, lead the best-of-seven series 2-0 over the Presidents’ Trophy winners. Game 3 is at T-Mobile Arena at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

“I think the three of us want to take pride in playing a complete game and doing the right things defensively when we don’t have the puck,” Eichel said. “It was good to be able to contribute offensively tonight.”

Goaltender Carter Hart followed a masterful performance in Game 1 with 29 saves. He was the reason why the Knights had a chance to steal the game.

Avalanche center Ross Colton opened the scoring with 3:01 left in the first period after controlling a bouncing puck and beating Hart glove side.

That was his only blemish. Hart has allowed three goals this series.

“I feel good,” Hart said. “I’m just trying to take things one period at a time, one shift at a time and one puck at a time, and just enjoy it.”

The Knights couldn’t break through, nor did they have an answer for Colorado goaltender Scott Wedgewood. They had four power plays. Each one looked worse than the previous.

Wedgewood made massive saves in the first two periods. Breakaways. Chances near the crease. Wrap-around attempts. He stopped them all.

They trailed 1-0 after 40 minutes on a night where offense seemed impossible.

Colorado was 41-0-0 in the regular season when leading after two periods, and 4-0 in the playoffs.

One shot from Eichel changed that.

“I thought we played a patient game. They had some chances. We had some chances early,” Eichel said. “Credit their goalie. He made some big saves. We just wanted to defend hard and get an opportunity to capitalize.”

Though the top line hadn’t done much offensively, coach John Tortorella emphasized to them — especially Eichel — about playing the right way defensively.

After blocking 23 shots in Game 1, the Knights had 16 in Game 2. Eichel was credited with two.

“When they’re not scoring, it’s important they work at the other part,” Tortorella said. “We talked about playing against this team, some defensive things we needed to make a change from Game 1 to Game 2. I thought Jack really worked at that part of the game. I thought all three of them did.”

To say this is a stunning development would be an understatement.

Or, as defenseman Dylan Coghlan eloquently put it, “I don’t think people had this on their bingo card.”

Since 1982, 13 times has a road team won the first two games of the conference final.

All 13 have gone on to win the series.

But for a veteran team that expected to contend with the best team in the league, they also know better to know — despite home-ice advantage in their favor — that this series is far from over.

When asked on the team not getting caught up leading 2-0, Tortorella said, “I guarantee you. We won’t.”

“I don’t have to say anything to them,” he continued. They just understand the situation. I’m not sure where the series goes. I’m not sure where Game 3 goes. But I know I’m not going to have to worry about that, because they get it.”