Vegas Golden Knights: Reliving that glorious night in Winnipeg two years ago

Two years ago today the Vegas Golden Knights created another slice of history by punching their Stanley Cup Final ticket.

During these current uncertain and scary times, it is sometimes nice and comforting to be able to take a trip down memory lane with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Today is the perfect time to do exactly that given the historical significance of this particular date.

Rewind back to May. 20, 2018 and the Golden Knights were in Winnipeg for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Jets.

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Everything had been a sheer fairytale and a dream for Vegas up until that point, who made a point of shocking the sporting world time and time again.

Despite being a first-year expansion team, the Golden Misfits somehow forged together a group of other teams’ undesirables and scraps into an absolute juggernaut.

The tragic Vegas shootings on Oct. 1, 2017 and the pivotal role the franchise played in the healing process helped to forge an unbreakable bond among the players.

That chemistry and spirit was evident from day one as the Golden Knights beat the Dallas Stars 2-1 in the first-ever regular-season game in franchise history, and they never looked back.

They went a hugely impressive 8-3-0 in October and finished the regular season as Pacific Division Champions, while finishing third in the Western Conference.

If breaking a bevy of records and rewriting the blueprint for expansion teams in all major sports wasn’t enough, the Knights were only getting started.

They really hit the peak of their powers in the postseason as they swept the Los Angeles Kings in the First Round, before overcoming bitter rivals the San Jose Sharks 4-2 in a heated and intense series.

Those successes set up a mouthwatering and pulsating Western Conference Finals against the Winnipeg Jets, who were built to win and boasted a number of elite offensive weapons including the likes of Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine.

Both teams boasted elite goaltenders in Connor Hellebuyck for the Jets and Marc-Andre Fleury for the Knights, so it was set up to be a captivating series.

And so it proved.

The Golden Knights actually dropped the first game in Winnipeg, and that could have proved to be the start of an ugly crash-landing back to planet earth.

However, Vegas rebounded in spectacular fashion by winning the next three contests to set up a decider in Winnipeg on May. 20, 2018.

Knowing what they needed to do to get the job done and achieve more history, the Golden Knights had to first navigate an intense atmosphere.

The Jets are known for their passionate support and the famous ‘White Out’ tradition in the postseason is truly a spectacle to behold, as it was that night.

Jets fans were praying for some fight from their team and a glimmer of hope, while the travelling Knights were waiting in expectation.

It couldn’t have been a better start for Vegas as Alex Tuch lit the lamp at 5:11 in the first period, although defenseman Josh Morrissey made it a tied game heading into the second period.

It was tense, it was nail-biting and the game ticked all the boxes from an entertainment standpoint.

Both goalies were doing their bit but, at 13:21 in the middle frame, the golden moment finally arrived.

Ryan Reaves, a Trade Deadline acquisition from the Pittsburgh Penguins, made himself a hero by positioning himself perfectly in-front of the net and redirecting a Lucas Sbisa shot past Connor Hellebuyck.

It proved to be the game-winner and the goal that sent the Golden Knights through to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final against the Washington Capitals.

It was a stunning moment and one that will forever live on in both the rich history of the Vegas Golden Knights and of the National Hockey League.

Fleury made 31 saves in total as the Golden Knights fought through the third period to make it mission complete, and the scenes in the immediate aftermath of the final buzzer were spectacular.

Fleury was mobbed and the players quickly donned Western Conference Finals winners gear before being presented with the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl.

Even the Winnipeg fans were magnanimous in defeat and appreciated what they had just witnessed from a first-year expansion team.

It was pretty neat to go back and look at some of the talent on that Vegas roster too, including stars in the ilk of James Neal, David Perron and Erik Haula.

It was a special group.

It was one of those nights that will live long in the memory bank, and going back and relieving such a special moment makes us appreciate the Golden Knights and the NHL powerhouse they have quickly morphed into even more.