James Neal has been scoring big goals in pressure-packed playoff hockey games since way before the Vegas Golden Knights were even a gleam in owner Bill Foley’s eye.

When this most remarkable expansion team needed a third-period goal to accomplish another incredible feat Eric Dickerson Jersey , their dependable veteran forward skated in on Jonathan Quick and got it with a flick of his wrist.

Neal scored the tiebreaking goal with 5:37 to play, and the Golden Knights rallied from a late deficit to move to the brink of their first playoff series victory with a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night.

Cody Eakin tied it with 13:50 left, and William Karlsson scored the eventual game-winner 21 seconds after Neal’s goal in a third-period flurry for the Golden Knights, whose storybook debut season just keeps getting more exciting and more outlandish.

”Emotions were running high, and it’s physical out there,” Neal said in a voice that confirms he has seen this scenario before, even if his team hasn’t. ”It’s tough. But a lot of guys on our team have been in those situations before and won in them before.”

Vegas has a 3-0 series lead and will go for a sweep in Game 4 on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

After opening their first postseason series with two home wins in front of their frenzied home crowd, the hockey upstarts from the desert coolly won their first road playoff game in front of an angry sellout crowd at Staples Center, where two recent Stanley Cup banners hang above the ice.

It’s nothing that scares Neal, who had 80 games of playoff experience with Pittsburgh and Nashville before joining Vegas in the expansion draft. With a second straight overtime game looking likely, Neal took a pass from Nate Schmidt, coolly skated around Kings defenseman Oscar Fantenberg and put a shot between Quick’s legs.

Marc-Andre Fleury made 37 saves for the Golden Knights, who became the first team to take a 3-0 series lead in this postseason.

Quick stopped 23 shots, but the Golden Knights’ three-goal flurry doubled their goal total against the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner from the first 201 minutes of play in this series.

The Knights make the improbable look easy Carlos Hyde Jersey , but only because of a balanced, hard-working lineup.

”We finally pushed them back far enough to where our guys could make plays,” Schmidt said. ”That’s what happened in Vegas, and we did it here. We finally pushed them back to where our forwards could do some things.”

Captain Anze Kopitar had a late goal and an assist, while Alex Iafallo scored his first career playoff goal in the first period. The Kings still haven’t won a playoff game at Staples Center since they last raised the Stanley Cup in June 2014.

”I thought we made a good push here tonight, created a lot more zone time and made Fleury work a little harder than he had to this point in the series,” Los Angeles coach John Stevens said. ”But (we) had some critical errors at critical times along the wall (that) ended up costing us.”

Vegas’ offensive burst broke open a third straight game of tense, defense-dominated playoff hockey between a franchise that won two Cups with that attitude and another that didn’t exist a year ago.

The Kings were reeling from Neal’s goal when Karlsson converted Reilly Smith’s pass from the corner with a one-timer. Vegas needed it: Kopitar added a tipped goal with 2:04 to play, but the Kings couldn’t get the equalizer.

While the Kings are down, they know they’re not out: They rallied from an 0-3 series deficit in the first round in 2014 against San Jose.

”Oh yeah, we trust in ourselves, and it’s been done before,” said Iafallo, whose goal gave Los Angeles its first lead of the series. ”We look at each other Dan Skuta Jersey , look across the room, and we trust each other. We can definitely do it.”

Drew Doughty played more than 27 1/2 minutes in the star defenseman’s return to the Kings’ blue line following a one-game suspension for hitting William Carrier in the series opener. Doughty also had partner Jake Muzzin back by his side after he missed the previous seven games with an upper-body injury.

Neither team got much offensive traction in the first two periods, but the physical tone of the series stuck. Erik Haula butt-ended Kopitar in the face after a cross-check, but went unpenalized.

”We get a guy (Doughty) suspended for making a hockey play,” Stevens said. ”(Haula) butt-ends one of the best players in the world in the face with the butt-end of his stick, so if I was confused before, I’m bewildered now. That’s an intent-to-injure play.”

But the Knights kept pressing and tied it after a prolonged sequence of dominance in which Colin Miller’s shot hit the post before Eakin buried Ryan Carpenter’s cross-ice pass.

NOTES: Forward Tomas Tatar was a healthy scratch for the Golden Knights. The Slovak scorer had played in all 22 games since Vegas acquired him from Detroit, but has just two points in the last 10. … Kopitar’s 21st career playoff goal moved him past Marcel Dionne for sixth in franchise playoff goals. The captain is third in team history with 45 assists. … Margot Robbie, David Beckham and injured Dodgers slugger Justin Turner attended the game.

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On the second night of a back-to-back – with first place in the Eastern Conference already wrapped up – the Toronto Raptors easily could have packed it in after falling behind by 17 points.

That’s not what coach Dwane Casey wanted.

”We are taking these last games seriously, because now isn’t the time to let any bad habits into our game,” Casey said. ”This week is about sharpening your habits to be ready for next week.”

Jonas Valanciunas scored 25 points, and the Raptors rallied for a 108-98 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night. Toronto closed the second quarter on a 21-7 run, and the Raptors also scored the first 13 points of the fourth.

Detroit was without injured stars Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin for its home finale, but the Pistons still led 53-36 in the first half. But it was 60-57 at halftime AJ McCarron Jersey , and Detroit managed only 38 points over the final two quarters.

”I think we competed hard,” said Eric Moreland, who started at center in place of Drummond. ”I think we competed on both ends tonight.”

The short-handed Pistons are out of playoff contention, and Toronto had some key players out too in Fred VanVleet and Serge Ibaka. Although the result meant little, it was a tight, entertaining game through three quarters. The Raptors led 85-80 at the end of the third before breaking it open.

Toronto led 100-81 in the fourth, then Detroit went on a 14-2 run. Pistons rookie Luke Kennard took a 3-pointer that would have cut the deficit to four, but it rattled out.

Valanciunas didn’t play at all in the fourth, but he’d done plenty already. He finished 11 of 13 from the field and made his only attempt from beyond the arc.

HELD OUT

In addition to Drummond (sore Achilles tendon) and Griffin (right ankle contusion), the Pistons were also without Reggie Bullock (left knee swelling).

VanVleet was out with lower back tightness, and Ibaka had the night off to rest for Toronto.

LOOKING AHEAD

The game didn’t mean much in terms of seeding in the East, but Toronto (59-22) now leads Golden State (58-23) by a game for home-court advantage in a possible NBA Finals matchup.

The Raptors are also hoping to win their regular-season finale at Miami and reach 60 victories.

”We want sixty, because we know it would be a great achievement for our franchise,” said guard Kyle Lowry Anthony Zettel Jersey , who scored 11 points Monday. ”The important thing, though, is what happens after the Miami game. We’re ready. It doesn’t matter who we play. We just have to play our game.”

HANDICAPPING

Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy shared his thoughts on Toronto’s chances in the East.

”I’ve said for a long time, I think they’re the best team in the East, and the team to beat,” Van Gundy said. ”So, we’ll see what happens, but that’s a really, really good team.”

TIP-INS

Raptors: DeMar DeRozan scored 16 points. … Toronto outscored Detroit 60-38 in the paint. … The Raptors completed a sweep of their back-to-back after beating Orlando on Sunday night.

Pistons: Kennard led Detroit with 20 points and Reggie Jackson scored 16 with nine assists. Ish Smith had 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting.

UP NEXT

Raptors: Visit the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.

Pistons: Visit the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.

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