Articles in Vegas Golden Knights

from Jesse Granger of The Athletic,

Cassidy raised his hand high above his head.

“I think before, as a coach, you’re always thinking you have to be ‘here’ all the time,” he said. “There are a lot of highs and lows, and you just have to find your game at the right time, and we were able to do that.”

Cassidy referred to the Golden Knights as an “imperfect team” at different times throughout the season. Vegas finished with the fifth-best record in the league in the regular season. The team was 14th in scoring and 11th in goals against. The power play ranked 18th and the penalty kill 19th. The Golden Knights didn’t have a player in the top-70 for league-wide scoring.

Nothing about the team’s statistics screamed “Stanley Cup champions” but all of the pieces were there, and they came together at the exact right time. What stood out most to Cassidy about his team’s play during the Cup run was the timeliness of its best games.

“We were close to perfect in the second period of Game 5 (to clinch the Stanley Cup against Florida).” he said. “Game 6 in Dallas. The second period in the clinching game in Edmonton. The third period (of Game 5) in Winnipeg. All four clinching games, I thought we dominated.”

Vegas won its close-out games by a ridiculous combined score of 24-6. A championship isn’t necessarily determined by the best overall team, but by which team plays its best hockey at the right time of year. This isn’t a major revelation, but it certainly drives the point home for the Golden Knights, and it’s a valuable lesson they may need in the near future.

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from Jacob Stoller of The Hockey News,

While the Vegas Golden Knights are synonymous with grand reveals, the start of their captain's day with the Stanley Cup was anything but theatrical.

It was humble, just like Winnipeg’s middle-class neighborhood of Westwood, where Stone grew up and left a mark on the community throughout his upbringing and NHL career so far.

Before a black limousine bus ushered Stone, his family and the Stanley Cup to his childhood rink, the vibe in the Kirkfield Westwood Community Centre parking lot had a bit more Golden Knights apparel than usual in Manitoba. While Stone’s event was not publicized, word of mouth spread throughout the neighborhood. A crowd of no larger than 30 people gathered outside the community center’s rink, Keith Bodley Arena, to get a glimpse of Lord Stanley and the captain who made this moment happen.

When the limousine pulled up, Stone was the last to step off – and he did so with a beaming smile while holding the Stanley Cup over his head. He carried the Cup into the building – past the canteen in the foyer entryway that he and his teammates took turns running as young kids – and headed right for the rink.

“This is my barn,” Stone told the two keepers of the Cup accompanying him. “It hasn’t changed a lick.”

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According to Hill's agent, he would prefer to stay in Las Vegas.

It will take you over 25 minutes to watch.

from Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet,

The good news for the Golden Knights is that they’ve got the majority of their core pieces under contract for at least one more season and most for multiple campaigns.

The list of pending unrestricted free agents includes forwards Ivan Barbashev, Phil Kessel, Teddy Blueger along with goaltenders Adin Hill, Laurent Brossoit and Jonathan Quick.

Barbashev was unequivocally the best deadline acquisition made by any NHL team this season and while it would take some salary cap gymnastics to keep him in the fold, you can be sure the Golden Knights would love to keep him around.

The biggest area of uncertainty is in goal, where Logan Thompson (who was in the NHL All-Star Game before he got hurt) is under contract for two more seasons on a contract close to the league minimum and Robin Lehner remains a big question mark after missing the entire season with an injury despite having two more seasons under contract at $5 million.

As for the pending UFAs for 2024, that list includes Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson, Michael Amadio and William Carrier up front, along with defencemen Alec Martinez and Ben Hutton.

The Golden Knights found the right mix in 2022-23 and you can expect they’ll use a similar recipe moving forward.

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Eichel got too much too soon in Buffalo because it was the only card Pegula and then-GMs Tim Murray and Jason Botterill could play. He got the big-money contract and the captaincy before he had done a whole lot to deserve it. We’ll never know the course of franchise history if the Sabres had made O’Reilly the captain instead of Eichel, like they probably should have. Eichel could have grown into his career and played without that burden, like he can now in Vegas.

-Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News where you can read more on this and other hockey topics too.

It was a parade and a party in Las Vegas Saturday night.

Here are the highlights.

The official stream for the Cup parade, is on now and the parade is scheduled to start at 10pm ET.

They are not allowing embedding of the video, so click the link or watch on the NHL Network.

I also found an alternate stream that can be watched below but it is hit or miss right now and when it does work all I see is people walking on the street.

from Luke Fox of Sportsnet,

The first time Ivan Barbashev lifted the Stanley Cup, back in 2019, he was an impending free agent. He made his arbitration case on three goals and six points over a 25-game championship run as an RFA depth forward with the St. Louis Blues.

The second time Barbashev won the Cup, Tuesday, he is an impending free agent. But after the rental pickup’s seven goals and 18 points in Vegas’s 22-game championship run, the edgy winger holds all the leverage.

Following impressive playoffs, Barbashev will have many suitors in free agencyPlay VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 3:01Loaded: 5.44% CaptionsFullscreen

The 27-year-old let the world know he can hang with elite forwards (Jonathan Marchessault and Jack Eichel) and deliver painful checks to hardnosed opponents (Radko Gudas).

That’s a rare combination, and it will get the Moscow native paid.

“I’ve always played some kind of a physical game. I think that’s what I brought over here. Just trying to bring some energy,” Barbashev says.

“They didn’t ask me to play a skill role, to be honest. It was up to me. Because when you play with Jack and Marchy, you got to make some plays for them, and you got to be an option for them as well.”

Until 2021-22, when he broke out for 26 goals and 60 points in St. Louis, Barbashev had been a career fourth-liner. Now that he has a taste of top-six life, he doesn’t want to look back.

more and other topics too

Five minutes of mic'd up moments.

10 saves.

6 1/2 minutes of your time.

from George Richards of Florida Hockey Now,

The Florida Panthers went on an incredible run through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, defying the odds from the start of the postseason all the way to an Eastern Conference championship.

What the Panthers accomplished this season — and in the manner they did so — will be remembered for a long time to come.

But Tuesday night was not one of reflection for the Panthers but disappointment in the way it ended.

This was not time to talk about upsetting the Boston Bruins or taking out the Toronto Maple Leafs or even sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes.

There will be plenty of time for that.

“It’s definitely tough, right now, to look back at anything,” captain Sasha Barkov said. “It has been amazing, this group of guys gave it all out there every night, every single night. It’s hard right now, but for sure, this is something I will remember for the rest of my life. Whether it’s a practice or game, I will remember this group. Hell of a journey.”

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from Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet,

via the NHL PR department,

GOLDEN KNIGHTS HIT JACKPOT WITH FIRST STANLEY CUP WIN IN SIXTH SEASON

Eight days shy of the seven-year anniversary of Las Vegas officially receiving an NHL franchise and 2,076 days after their first regular-season game, the Vegas Golden Knights are Stanley Cup champions for the first time.

* The Golden Knights clinched their first title with a historic 9-3 victory in Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena, defeating the Florida Panthers to become the second-fastest franchise in the League’s modern era (since 1943-44) to win a championship. Vegas lifted hockey’s most sought-after trophy to cap its sixth season in the NHL, joining the Edmonton Oilers (5th season) as the only clubs in the modern era to win a title that quickly.

from Greg Wyshynski of ESPN,

The Golden Knights have packed a lot into six seasons of existence, after entering the NHL as its 31st team in 2017. They are, essentially, hockey's great startup company. A collection of misfits that created instant success and then faced the mounting pressure to grow from those carefree days into a thriving, sustainable company with 10 times growth.

It got real. Hearts were broken. Friendships were severed, as beloved founders were bid farewell.

"It sucks. It's happened a lot here," McNabb said. "But give them credit. They're doing whatever they can to try and win."

'We're Vegas -- we've got to be different'

The difference between other NHL owners and Foley is like the difference between the manager of your local strip mall and Jeff Bezos: One builds for a modicum of success, while the other wants to rule the world.

The following are actual things Bill Foley has said about his NHL team:

• "We want to be a global franchise. The visitors to Las Vegas can't get a ticket because we're sold out, but they're going to buy gear. They're going to be back in Shanghai wearing a Golden Knights hat."
• "My goal is to be a dynasty here. Not to win a Stanley Cup. Multiple Stanley Cups over several years."

more and long...

from Luke Fox of Sportsnet,

Congratulations to the Golden Knights who defeated the Panthers 9-3 tonight. The party has started in Vegas.

Team Stats

The Florida Panthers were a joy to watch throughout the playoffs but they simply ran out of gas.

I will be adding post game videos and more below, then use the comment section to expand the coverage even more.

added 11:01pm, It's over, added 11:19pm, Handshakes and Highlights below.

from George Richards of Florida Hockey Now,

Throughout this postseason, the Florida Panthers appeared to be playing with house money. They will try and get back to their winning ways tonight against the host Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Florida is most certainly the heavy underdog coming into this game what with Vegas now just a win away from winning it all.

The Stanley Cup will be inside T-Mobile Arena tonight and it will be all shined up and ready to hand over to the Golden Knights if they are able to finish off the Panthers.

The stakes for Vegas — the 6-year-old hockey team, not the city — has never been higher.

The Panthers are not just happy to be here, but they are hungry to come home for another game. They want to keep this roller coaster ride of a season going.

Vegas can see the finish line but many times, that final hill before you reach the tape is the hardest to overcome.

The marathon of a season has now come down to a sprint.

The Panthers are beat up but do not appear to be beaten down.

They say they’re ready for the fight that is coming. Florida is going to have to empty whatever is left in its tank tonight.

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via the YouTube channel of the NHL,

Listen in to a special mic'd up feature of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final and hear from Panthers players Sam Bennett and Radko Gudas, head coach Paul Maurice, Golden Knights players Michael Amadio and Keegan Kolesar, head coach Bruce Cassidy, and referees Wes McCauley and Steve Kozari on the ice.

from Luke Fox of Sportsnet,

Although Kessel’s all-time lineup luck has taken a turn, the 35-year-old enigma wrapped in a chuckle has remained upbeat around the boys.

He’s a natural positive influence on the club’s culture despite heading toward an 18th consecutive healthy scratch Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena, where the Knights can win it all.

“Yeah, it’s huge. I mean, a big part of the team chemistry this year. He’s been great to hang out with,” Marchessault says.

“You need a lot of character on your team. But you need a lot of characters — and he's definitely one of them. And definitely I enjoy every second being with him for sure.

“The way he speaks, it’s remarkable.”

Kessel’s personality has long been a source of fascination in hockey circles. He can take a joke, make a joke. He can get all tight and crusty but, at the same time, break the ice and get the whole room laughing.

Captain Mark Stone finds the Kessel factor difficult to describe.

“I don't know. He brings a funny element of happiness and crankiness. By he just gels in really well with this group,” Stone says.

“He’s probably one of, if not the most, likable teammate I've ever played with. Brings a smile to your face when you come into the rink every day… You can count on him bringing good vibes to the dressing room, and he's been one of my favourite teammates I've ever played with.

“Plays every night, right? He's always there.”

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from Helene Elliott of the LA Times,

Las Vegas loves glitz and glamour. It also loves the Golden Knights, who joined the NHL in 2017 and capitalized on generous expansion terms and clever maneuvering by then-general manager George McPhee to reach the 2018 Stanley Cup Final.

They lost to Washington in five games, but they can win the gleaming silver trophy on home ice Tuesday if they close out the Florida Panthers in Game 5. Only the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, who trailed Detroit 3-0, have come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Final. The plucky Panthers, who barely made the playoffs in the East before upsetting Boston, might be too banged up to muster one more big rally.

The atmosphere Tuesday will be crazy. More precisely, crazier than ever.

“I think the fans should celebrate, or be prepared to celebrate. It’s up to us to get the job done, obviously. Florida is a huge obstacle in our way to do that. ... But the fans should enjoy their moment, be prepared for it. They’ve been behind this team for six years now, a real solid fan base, and we should embrace that part of it.”

People in Las Vegas are accustomed to seeing celebrities in casinos, nightclubs and showrooms, but few stars shine as brightly as the Cup. It will be in the building Tuesday, tucked away in its travel case until someone records that fourth win.

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from Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet,

Guys who play for themselves don’t last long in hockey.

They certainly don’t survive in the National Hockey League, where one of the core tenets, fundamental to the entire enterprise, is that you must put the team ahead of yourself. You have something truly special when players willingly put teammates ahead of themselves.

The Vegas Golden Knights moved one win away from the Stanley Cup when they beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 here Saturday to go up 3-1 in the NHL’s championship. There isn’t anyone on the deep, even, talented Vegas team playing for himself.

But Chandler Stephenson carries just a little extra in his heart.

The 29-year-old from Saskatoon won a Stanley Cup in 2018 – against Vegas in the Golden Knights’ incredible inaugural season – as an important depth forward with the Washington Capitals. Tuesday, in Game 5 in Las Vegas, he’ll have a chance to win another as a front-line centre with the Knights.

Powerful and explosive, Stephenson scored the first two goals on Saturday, one on a breakaway as he burst through an opening created by Panther Aaron Ekblad’s bad line change, the second on a quick and heavy one-timer from linemate Mark Stone’s pass.

WIn both playoff runs, Stephenson has carried with him some of his big brother, Colton, who had to quit hockey in junior due to a series of concussions, and never had a chance to build the professional career that Chandler has chiselled.

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