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Golden Knights Rally With Three Third-Period Goals to Seize Game 1 Against Utah

Vegas continued its torrid run under coach John Tortorella, erasing a deficit with a dominant final frame to beat the Mammoth 4-2.

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By Free News Press Editorial Team
Published April 20, 2026 at 7:21 AM PDT

The Vegas Golden Knights showed why they've been nearly unbeatable since John Tortorella took the reins, storming back with three third-period goals to defeat the Utah Mammoth 4-2 in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series Sunday night.

Trailing heading into the final period, Vegas flipped the script with an offensive explosion that overwhelmed Utah. The comeback continued a remarkable stretch for the Golden Knights, who have not lost in regulation since Tortorella took over as coach last month, as reported by ESPN.

The third-period surge underscored the resilience that has defined Vegas under its new bench boss. Tortorella, long known for demanding relentless compete levels from his teams, appears to have injected exactly that into a Golden Knights squad now riding a wave of momentum into the playoffs.

Utah, playing in its first postseason since relocating, will look to bounce back in Game 2. But stealing home-ice advantage just became significantly harder against a Vegas team that looks capable of flipping a switch when it matters most.

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