Defensive effort suffocates Avalanche, sends Golden Knights to Stanley Cup Final
Derek Hegna
Host · Writer
Throughout the season, it felt as though the Vegas Golden Knights had strayed away from their identity as a defensive powerhouse.
However, as the Stanley Cup playoffs wore on, that identity that won them the ultimate prize in 2023 started to reemerge. From handling two teams loaded with speed and skill in the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks, the Golden Knights figured out how to handle it and prevent their opponents from driving play the way they wanted. Even with their toughest test yet in the President’s Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche, the Golden Knights played hard and won the checking battle, giving them the opportunity to accomplish the unexpected.
On Tuesday, the Golden Knights held their masterclass, frustrating the Avalanche and completing the sweep with a 2-1 victory in Game Four to win the Western Conference Final and advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
“We checked our a— off. That’s what stands out to me, and that’s how you win in this league to me is by checking,” Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella emphasized during his postgame press conference.
“It’s something we have been concentrating on, and I think we’ve gotten better and better through the rounds, but tonight’s game was our best checking effort.”
Unlike Game Three, it would be the Golden Knights taking the initiative in their effort to close the series out. Seeing Mark Stone behind the Avalanche defense, Brayden McNabb would launch a flip pass that found the captain near-perfectly. Stone would make good on the breakaway, deking out goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to open the scoring for the Golden Knights for the second straight game.
“It was a great play by [McNabb]. Perfect breakout from Shea [Theodore] to him and I was able to get behind, but…the lane wasn’t there so he put me right in stride,” described Stone about the opening goal.
“Those are big goals at the big times. You want to capitalize, you have to capitalize, and you can play with the lead and make these games a lot easier.”
The home team would dominate for the majority of the opening 20 minutes, although Carter Hart was required to come up with some key saves, including a glove save to stop a Brock Nelson breakaway.
“I think once we scored that first goal, and then the second and third period, just kind of locked it down and got pressure on them. We did a great job, got some huge blocks tonight,” said Hart about the team’s defensive effort in front of him.
The second period was the most hotly contested in the series so far, with both Hart and Blackwood having to make impressive saves to keep the score the same. Hart would make another stop on Nelson, while Blackwood would come up with a pair of impressive saves against Pavel Dorofeyev to keep the Avalanche in the hunt.
“We knew we were playing against a hell of a hockey team across the way. A team that has a lot of skill, a lot of will that weren’t going to go away easy,” said Mitch Marner about the Avalanche’s efforts.
“We had guys blocking shots and big blocks and big saves, some big momentum swings, and I think we stay calm through it all, which is very important.”
The Golden Knights would then frustrate the Avalanche, limiting them to only two shots in the first 12 minutes of the third period. The defensive effort would ultimately be rewarded when Cole Smith deflected Dylan Coghlan’s shot through Blackwood’s five hole to push the Vegas lead to two.
“Those third, fourth line guys, your five and six D, that’s how you continue to move in playoffs. Those are very important pieces as you go through these series,” Tortorella mentioned about the Golden Knights’ depth players.
“I’m happy for [Smith]…and [Coghlan and Kaedan Korczak], how well have they played coming into this, playing against that team? The amount of speed that they bring, they weren’t intimidated by a thing, so that’s how it happens. Your stars are going to be your stars but, to keep advancing and get to the situation we’re at now, playing in the fourth round, playing in the Cup, those other pieces have to come through and they have.”
A Gabriel Landeskog deflection would keep things interesting in the final minutes, but it would be as close as the Avalanche would get as the Golden Knights clamped down to complete the sweep.
Despite the late goal, Hart continued his stretch of excellent play throughout the series, shutting down the Avalanche with 20 saves.
“I think just coming here and coming to a new city and with a new group of teammates and places I’m not really familiar with, just getting to know everybody,” answered Hart when asked about how he’s grown from when he signed with the Golden Knights organization in October to now.
“Everybody here has been so awesome. You see it every day with the fans that show up at the rink and our practices. The support we get is unbelievable and, after practice, visiting with people and with kids, and they’re just so excited about the Vegas Golden Knights. I’m just so blessed to be here.”
With the west officially won, the Golden Knights await to see if they book their next flights to Raleigh or Montreal, as the Eastern Conference Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens decides home-ice advantage for the Stanley Cup Final. Dates and times of the games are to be determined.
“There’s been some dark times in hockey for myself, honestly,” reflected Marner, who will be playing for the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career, about his celebration after the game. “Thankful for my family, my brother, my mom and dad, my wife, all my friends around me. That was a moment to just express some joy and some fun there. We’ll enjoy it for the night, and then get ready to go to work.”
