We all watched the Las Vegas Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup. Let’s relive the journey and break down the top five moments.
#5 Finishing the regular season on top of the Pacific Division
Finishing the regular season at the top is always a nice look, but it was more personal than that. Winning their division was nothing short of redemption after they fell out of the playoffs last year. Now the Golden Knights could once again plunge forward in their quest for the Stanley Cup.
Their final season stats are some of the highest numbers in the league. The Golden Knights finished the season with a record of 51-22, 111 points, 272 goals for, 229 goals against, and a 6-1-3 record in their final ten games. That’s a solid way to end the season for any team that missed the playoffs a year ago
#4 Winning four straight games to defeat the Winnipeg Jets in the first round
Las Vegas lost the series’ first game to the Winnipeg Jets but recovered to win the next four. Not only was this a show of sheer domination, but it also served as a reminder that they could rebound.
These weren’t easy wins either! They did win the second game 5-2, but things only got more difficult after that. A perfect example is their 5-4 2OT win in game 3. The Jets actually scored three straight goals in the final period to force overtime in a stunning display. Of course, the Golden Knights got the last laugh in overtime with a victory, but things were close.
To come back from a loss and win four straight games is very difficult. The Jets seemed poised to destroy Las Vegas after their 5-1 victory, but the script was flipped. That’s what makes this such a pivotal moment. It represented a test of how good this team really was.
#3 Taking a critical game five against the Oilers in the second round
Another moment that showed Las Vegas’ strengths is their second-round matchup against the Edmonton Oilers. While they captured a 6-4 victory in game one, the Oilers responded with a 5-1 win in game two. That evened the series and put the pressure back on Las Vegas. The Golden Knights were down but not out and responded with another win of their own. Unfortunately for Las Vegas, the Oilers captured a 4-1 victory that once again killed their momentum a few days later.
This brings us to game five, where Las Vegas was down in the first period. That changed quickly in the second when Las Vegas scored three straight goals in another show of dominance. Edmonton tried to mount a comeback late in the third period but only managed one goal. The final score was 4-3 and another key win for the Golden Knights.
What made this game so important was that the series was tied 2-2. Momentum was up for grabs, and Las Vegas snatched it out of thin air. Jack Eichel, Reily Smith, Mark Stone, and Nicholas Hauge all contributed goals, while Adin Hill only let three goals past him.
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#2 Defeating the Dallas Stars and former head coach Pete Deboer in the semi-finals
Everyone believed the Dallas Stars would be the Golden Knights’ toughest test in the playoffs. However, Las Vegas won the first three games, including a 4-3 win in the opening game and a 4-0 shutout in game three.
Dallas then went on to win 3-2 in overtime and 4-2 a few days later. This put the series at 3-2 and gave the Stars a chance to overtake the series. That didn’t happen after Las Vegas finished them with a 6-0 shutout. In the end, seeing Pete Deboer defeated by his former team had to be poetic justice.
Going back to the shutout, the Golden Knights achieved two of them in this series. The second one is the victory above that sent them to the Stanley Cup Finals. The first one, however, came in game three, where Las Vegas won 4-0. Both shutouts were achieved by Adin Hill, who stopped 34 shots in the first game and 23 in the second.
#1 Outscoring the Florida Panthers 9-3 to win the Stanley Cup
There are few better ways to finish off a championship run than blowing out your opponent, and that’s exactly what the Golden Knights did. The Florida Panthers never seemed to have any chance in this game, which became apparent as soon as the puck dropped on the ice.
Things started with Las Vegas scoring two points in the first period, giving the Panthers a daunting task if they wanted to keep the series alive. It only got worse in the second period, where the Golden Knights tacked on four more goals to increase their lead to six.
The Golden Knights finished with three additional goals to put an exclamation mark on their first championship. Mark Stone scored three goals, while Riley Smith, Michael Amadio, Ivan Barbashev, Nicolas Hague, Alec Martinez, and Nicholas Roy also knocked one in each.
As for assists, Shea Theodore led the way with three, with others putting up at least one. Adin Hill stopped 32 of 35 pucks, only allowing three goals. Lastly, Mark Stone deserves massive credit for going 3 for 3 in shots on goal.
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