Tomas Hertl's third-period goal capped a remarkable five-goal surge as the Vegas Golden Knights rallied past the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals. Keegan Kolesar, William Karlsson, Mark Stone and Brett Howden also scored for Vegas, which erased a 3-0 first-period deficit to put the NHL's top seed in a shocking 3-0 series hole.

The comeback started after officials controversially waved off Pavel Dorofeyev's apparent first-period power-play goal, ruling the puck went off his glove. That decision proved costly when Jack Drury scored a short-handed breakaway goal moments later, giving Colorado its three-goal lead. Vegas forward Mitch Marner later went to the box, allowing MacKinnon to return for a power-play shift in the third period.

Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon briefly exited in the second period after blocking Shea Theodore's slapshot off his left leg, but returned to play in the third. Despite his return, Colorado couldn't stop Vegas's momentum surge. Game 4 returns to T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday with the Golden Knights one win from the Stanley Cup Final.

Vegas's resilience mirrors their season-long character, having overcome multiple deficits throughout these playoffs. The Golden Knights showed championship mettle by refusing to panic after the early controversy and MacKinnon's injury scare.