Fansided

Major penalty nearly comes to haunt Vegas Golden Knights

By David Salituro

SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 23: Cody Eakin #21 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period against the San Jose Sharks in Game Seven of the Western Conference First Round during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on April 23, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 23: Cody Eakin #21 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period against the San Jose Sharks in Game Seven of the Western Conference First Round during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on April 23, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Vegas Golden Knights were well on their way to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs when Cody Eakin was handed a 5-minute major

Just when the Vegas Golden Knights looked like they had punched their ticket to the second round, a critical call by the referee punched them in the gut.

Vegas and the San Jose Sharks needed a seventh game on Tuesday in San Jose to decide who would move on in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Vegas took an early lead 10 minutes into the game on a goal by William Karlsson. Cody Eakin put the Golden Knights up 2-0 midway through the second period before Max Pacioretty appeared to put the game away with a third Vegas goal early in the third period.

The Golden Knights still led 3-0 with less than 11 minutes remaining in the game when a faceoff occurred in the Vegas zone. After the puck was dropped, Eakin cross-checked Sharks center Joe Pavelski in the chest and pushed him into Paul Stastny. Pavelski fell to the ground and hit his head on the ice. It was a dangerous play, and Pavelski had to be taken off the ice. Eakin was given a five-minute major and a 10-minute game misconduct, based not on his original hit but seemingly on what happened to Pavelski.

Just seven seconds into the power play Logan Couture scored the Sharks’ first goal of the game. Tomas Hertl tipped in an Erik Karlsson shot from the point to make it 3-2 49 seconds later. Couture scored his second goal to tie it at 12:53. Finally, the comeback was complete when Kevin Labanc scored at 13:21 of the third period to put the Sharks up 4-3. San Jose had been just 4-25 on the power play in the series.

Reaction to the phantom major given to Eakin quickly spread on Twitter.

Now trailing with 6:39 remaining in the game, the Golden Knights seemed to have their season taken away from them based on this call. Pushing desperately for the tying goal, it finally came with 47 seconds left when Rielly Smith passed from behind the net to Jonathan Marchessault who beat goaltender Martin Jones to make it 4-4.

For the second straight game, the Golden Knights and Sharks will need overtime to determine a winner.

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