from Chris Johnston of Sportsnet,

“Everyone’s starting to write us off,” added teammate David Perron. “It’s not something we’re not used to. We lost the first game against Winnipeg [in the Western Conference Final], we had a lot of media thinking we’d get run over the entire series against them. We found a way to win four in a row, win in five.

“We’re in a familiar situation with a lot of doubters. It’s fine with us. We have to step up and play the right way. Play the way that made us successful. It’s a new day today. A new opportunity.”

The first step is belief. The next is execution.

Gallant is contemplating personnel changes to spark his sagging second and third lines — with Tomas Tatar and/or Oscar Lindberg the most likely to dress in Game 4. The only goal scored by a member of the Golden Knights middle-six in this series came from James Neal, which means that Perron, Erik Haula, Ryan Carpenter, Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch are all in need of a breakthrough.

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added 8:38am, from Michael Traikos of the National Post,

For the first time in these playoffs, the team is in trouble. They are not in control of the series like they were against Los Angeles, San Jose or Winnipeg. Down 2-1 in the Stanley Cup final, it’s their backs that are against the wall. They are the underdogs.

Unable to score. Unable to generate offence. This is as frustrated as we’ve seen the Golden Knights, who for the first time in the playoffs — and the regular season — are starting to look like a first-year expansion team.

That it’s come at the hands of an unheralded and mostly no-name defence is, well, as surprising as Vegas’ appearance in the final in the first place. Then again, this isn’t the same ol’ Washington team that you and everyone thought they knew.

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