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Vegas Golden Knights vs. Winnipeg Jets: Fleury steals the show in Game 3

By Bruin Belisle

LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 16: Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Vegas Golden Knights stops a shot against the Winnipeg Jets during the third period in Game Three of the Western Conference Finals during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on May 16, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 16: Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Vegas Golden Knights stops a shot against the Winnipeg Jets during the third period in Game Three of the Western Conference Finals during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on May 16, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images) /
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The Vegas Golden Knights were back home to host the Winnipeg Jets in Game 3 of their 1-1 series tonight. Here is everything you need to know about the game.

107. 4. 942. Final. 2

The Vegas Golden Knights hosted their first-ever Western Conference Final game as a franchise tonight. They came out hot, with Jonathan Marchessault scoring the game’s first goal in the game’s first minute.

The Winnipeg Jets would answer in the second period with a goal from Conn Smythe hopeful Mark Scheifele to make the game 1-1, but the Knights would add two unanswered from James Neal and Alex Tuch to put the Knights up 3-1.

Things got a little chippy near the end of the second period, with Dustin Byfuglien once again showing that he can manhandle multiple professional athletes at once. Goaltender Marc-André Fleury got into the action as well, giving Jets captain Blake Wheeler a (dry) wet willy in what was probably the strangest sequence of events we’ll see tonight.

The third period opened with a Mark Scheifele goal just 18 seconds in and the Knights lead was cut to one. The Jets kept the pressure on in the third as Scheifele nearly beat Fleury twice, if not for two absolutely spectacular saves. He continued his brilliant play through the entirety of the period, most of which was played in his end.

The Jets would do everything they could to Fleury but he ended up the victor, as Jonathan Marchessault put home his second of the game on an empty net to end this game at 4-2. Perhaps fitting, the games best player Marc-André Fleury would pick up an assist on that final goal.

Three Stars

3. James Neal 

“The Real Deal” James Neal had a goal and an assist in Game 3, both coming at crucial times for the Knights. He also stood in and took some big hits tonight, one of which came from Jets monster Dustin Byfuglien. Still, he played a great game and managed to gather points when his team needed it the most.

2. Mark Scheifele

No forward in the NHL playoffs has been as good as Schiefele this post-season. The Jets center has 14 goals and six assists so far in these playoffs. More impressively, 11 of the 14 goals have come on the road (an NHL playoff record). He also has nine multi-point games. If the Jets move on to the Stanley Cup final, it’ll be hard to argue anyone else’s case for the Conn Smythe Trophy.

1. Marc-André Fleury 

Speaking of Conn Smythe candidates, Fleury was hands down the best player on the ice tonight. Most NHL goalies would have let in six or seven goals tonight, but Fleury is on another level right now. He even added an assist tonight on the empty net goal. He certainly earned it, doing things like this:

https://twitter.com/NHLGIFs/status/99695936570076774

Highlights

https://twitter.com/NHLGIFs/status/99694136315228979

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/996959135391473665

Next Game

The Jets will stay in Las Vegas until Friday, May 18 at 8:00 p.m. when the two will face off in Game 4 of this action-packed series.

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