The Golden Knights' fairytale first season continues to write itself.
Erik Haula, the latest unlikely hero in a season full of them, scored with 4:38 remaining in the second overtime of Friday's marathon Game 2, toppling the Kings 2-1 to take a commanding two-games-to-none lead in their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
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Haula, who arrived in Vegas courtesy of the Wild, accepted a slick pass James Neal through traffic and found space near the right face-off circle. He deked Jonathan Quick, who made 54 saves, and converted on the rebound as Quick flailed in desperation. It's the seventh playoff goal of Haula's career, his first in overtime.
ERIK HAULA IN OVERTIME! VEGAS HAS DONE IT! WHAT A GAME, WHAT A FINISH! #VegasBorn 2 - 1 #GoKingsGo
— NHL Daily 365 (@NHLDaily365) April 14, 2018
FINAL (Vegas leads series 2-0) pic.twitter.com/8UzQgopO8E
🎥 Erik Haula: That's one of the best feelings in sports, finishing the game in that fashion pic.twitter.com/NOwKiTovXp
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 14, 2018
It was the longest game in Kings franchise history, surpassing the 2014 double-overtime thriller when Alec Martinez scored to clinch a second Stanley Cup. Of course, it automatically became the longest in the short history of the Golden Knights, who became the fifth NHL expansion franchise to win their first two playoff games.
The @GoldenKnights are the fifth franchise in NHL history to win each of their first 2+ playoff games and just the second to do so in its inaugural season. #NHLStats #LAKvsVGK #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/WfiuMF0rgW
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 14, 2018
The Kings and Golden Knights were deadlocked 1-all at the end of regulation, which featured goals from Vegas' Alex Tuch and Los Angeles' Paul LaDue, who replaced suspended defenseman Drew Doughty in the Kings lineup . Vegas dominated puck possession from the onset, outshooting the Kings 33-20 in the first three periods. Los Angeles took control in the first overtime, but it was all Vegas again in the second.
Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves, passing Curtis Joseph for sole possession of 12th place on the NHL’s all-time playoff wings list with 64.
The Golden Knights finished with a whopping 56-30 edge in shots.
