How Golden Knights reached Stanley Cup Final - NHL.com

The Vegas Golden Knights are in the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in six seasons since joining the NHL as an expansion team in 2017-18.

The Golden Knights advanced with a 6-0 victory against the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final on Monday and will play the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; TNT, TBS, truTV, SN, CBC, TVAS).

Owner Bill Foley set a goal before Vegas debuted in the NHL: Make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in three seasons and win the Stanley Cup in six.

The Golden Knights almost got it done in one. Not only did they make the playoffs in their inaugural season, but they made the Cup Final, losing to the Washington Capitals in five games.

They have pursued the Cup aggressively ever since, parting with popular coaches and players, adding high-end talent and pushing the limits of the NHL salary cap.

They lost to the San Jose Sharks in seven games of the 2019 Western Conference First Round, the Stars in five games of the 2020 conference final and the Montreal Canadiens in six games of the 2021 Stanley Cup Semifinals.

[RELATED: Complete Stanley Cup Final coverage]

After missing the playoffs for the first time last season largely because of injuries, they won the West in the regular season and the playoffs, defeating the Winnipeg Jets in five games, the Edmonton Oilers in six and the Stars.

Now they have a chance to achieve Foley's goal and win the Cup in their sixth season.

Here are some highlights for the Golden Knights on the road to the Stanley Cup Final:

BEST MOMENT: The Golden Knights took a stranglehold on the conference final in Game 3 after Dallas captain Jamie Benn cross-checked Vegas captain Mark Stone at 1:53 of the first period, receiving a major penalty and game misconduct (and later a two-game suspension). Forward Ivan Barbashev scored on the ensuing power play for a 2-0 lead at 5:57. Vegas went on to win 4-0 and take a 3-0 series lead.

Video: VGK@DAL, Gm3: Barbashev, Roy team up to score PPG

TURNING POINT: It might have been a different series had Dallas held on to a 2-1 lead late in Game 2, but Stars defenseman Ryan Suter threw the puck around the end boards in the Dallas zone. Barbashev got to the puck and sent it to center Jack Eichel behind the goal line. Eichel made a beautiful pass in front and forward Jonathan Marchessault tied the game 2-2 with 2:22 to go. Center Chandler Stephenson scored at 1:12 of overtime to give Vegas a 3-2 win and 2-0 series lead.

BEST MOVES MADE: The Golden Knights acquired Eichel in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 4, 2021, and allowed him to have a neck surgery that had never been done before on an NHL player. Eichel came back to play 34 games in 2021-22, but the move really paid dividends this season, giving the Golden Knights the No. 1 center they had lacked. Now Eichel, in his first NHL playoff run, leads Vegas in playoff scoring with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 17 games. The other big move was replacing coach Peter DeBoer with Bruce Cassidy this season. Vegas tightened defensively in the regular season and has been hard to play against during the playoffs, keeping opponents to the outside. And how about the addition of Barbashev in a trade with the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 26? He has 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 17 games, tied with Stone for third on Vegas.

BEST MOVES NOT MADE: The Golden Knights have been bold about making changes to the coaching staff and roster, but the management team has been stable since the beginning. At first, George McPhee was president of hockey operations and general manager, and Kelly McCrimmon was assistant GM. McCrimmon was then promoted to GM effective Sept. 1, 2019. They have been an excellent team in building an excellent team.

SIGNATURE WIN (REGULAR SEASON): The Boston Bruins lost only 17 games in the regular season (12 in regulation, five in overtime), including seven at home (four in regulation, three in OT), on the way to setting NHL records for wins (65) and points (135). But the Golden Knights defeated them 4-3 in a shootout at TD Garden on Dec. 5, which ended an NHL-record 14-game home winning streak to start a season. It was also Cassidy's first game against the Bruins since they fired him June 6 after six seasons. 

SIGNATURE WIN (PLAYOFFS): The Golden Knights let their 3-0 series lead slip to 3-2 by losing Games 4 and 5. DeBoer, now coach of the Stars, said the pressure had shifted to the Golden Knights because another loss would have meant a Game 7. Well, so much for that. Vegas dominated to clinch a trip to the Cup Final.

MVP: Eichel is an easy answer, but center William Karlsson leads Vegas with 10 goals in the playoffs and has played a key defensive role. Another candidate is Marchessault, whose nine goals and 17 points each rank second and three game-winning goals are tied with Stephenson for the team lead. 

Video: VGK@DAL, Gm6: Karlsson scores his second goal of game

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Adin Hill is technically Vegas' fourth goalie, after the injured Robin Lehner, Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit. When Brossoit left Game 3 of the second round, Hill took over. He hadn't played since March 7, and had never played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs before. All he's done is go 7-3 with a 2.07 goals-against average, .937 save percentage and two shutouts.

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2023-05-30 14:45:26Z
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