Ivan Barbashev’s ‘simple’ message after Game 2 win over Avalanche

The Vegas Golden Knights snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on Friday night over the Colorado Avalanche. Jack Eichel sparked the comeback victory in Game 2 of the 2026 Western Conference Finals. However, Ivan Barbashev also came up big, thanks in part to Eichel’s effort.

Barbashev scored twice, including the game-winning goal, on Friday night. His two goals capped off a 3-1 win for Vegas in Game 2 against the Avalanche. As a result, Vegas has a 2-0 series lead in the West Final. And they are two wins away from the Stanley Cup Final.

“We just played simple,” Barbashev said of his team’s approach to the third period, via NHL.com. “I think we’ve been a really good third-period team all season long. We’ve had a lot of comebacks, and we just stuck with that.”

The Golden Knights are going to need to keep their focus in the upcoming games. But they certainly have history on their side. Only one team has won a Conference Finals or a Stanley Cup Semifinals in league history after dropping the first two games at home. The 1945 Detroit Red Wings beat the Boston Bruins in the semifinal before losing in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Avalanche have the talent to make this a series, though. Especially if they can get Cale Makar back in this series. He has not skated in either of the first two games of this West Final.

Of course, injuries aren’t an excuse. The Golden Knights have been without captain Mark Stone for the last five games, for example. The overall point is that this series is far from over. And there are external factors that could swing momentum either way.

The Golden Knights will look to take a 3-0 series lead on Sunday night in front of their home fans in Game 3.

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