Vegas Golden Knights: Three predictions for Western Conference Finals
We have some predictions for the Vegas Golden Knights as they embark on the Western Conference Finals.
After beating the Vancouver Canucks in seven games, the Vegas Golden Knights will face the Dallas Stars with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line.
It is the second time that the Golden Knights have made it to the Western Conference Finals in three years, and they will be hoping to make a second trip to the Stanley Cup Final in franchise history.
It won’t be easy, however, given that the Stars exploded offensively to see off the Colorado Avalanche in seven games in the Second Round.
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Dallas has scored at least five goals in six of its last 10 games, and they are getting contributions from up and down the lineup.
Rookie Denis Gurianov leads the Stars forwards in points with 15 (8 G, 7 A), while Joel Kiviranta came in and recorded a hat trick in Game 7 against the Avalanche.
Then there is Miro Heiskanen who has been sensational inside The Bubble, recording 5 goals and 16 assists for 21 points in 16 games to continue his rise as one of the most talented young defensemen in the NHL.
But the Golden Knights are loaded themselves and are still the team to beat in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, aside from the Tampa Bay Lightning who are an absolute juggernaut.
So all the signs are there that this should be both a long and compelling series that could well go seven, and we decided to put together some predictions for the Western Conference Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Dallas Stars…
1. Fleury to steal a game or two
The Vegas Golden Knights have had to overcome their fair share of adversity inside The Bubble, including riding out a brewing goalie controversy.
With Robin Lehner clearly emerging as the undisputed starter in the eyes of Head Coach Peter DeBoer, face of the franchise Marc-Andre Fleury has been left out in the dark.
That sparked a stunning Tweet from Fleury’s longtime agent Allan Walsh, who showed off his Photoshop skills with a rather graphic picture featuring Fleury with a sword going through his back.
Oh, and if that wasn’t enough then the sword had DeBoer’s name emblazoned on its blade.
The Golden Knights did brush that particular episode aside but this storyline won’t go away anytime soon.
However, while it would be fair to question if Fleury’s days are numbered in Sin City, that speculation can wait.
After all, the Golden Knights are all in to win a cup and Fleury still has a key role to play in any championship this year.
One of the main reasons why Fleury is a lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame when he does eventually hang up his skates is his sparkling postseason record, which includes three Stanley Cups and 81 Playoff wins.
And we predict that the Golden Knights will call on Fleury to come in and steal a game in this series, if not two.
It is somewhat an obvious prediction given that Fleury is a proven performer on the big stage, someone who has ice in his veins when the pressure is really on.
And, with the Stars boasting a plethora of potent weapons, we think that Fleury will stand on his head in at least one game, pull off unbelievable save after unbelievable save to steal a game or two and send a reminder to the front office that he’s still got a role to play this year.
2. Revenge of the offense
One of the Golden Knights’ biggest strengths is their stacked offense, particularly their loaded top-six forward unit.
However, that strength was somewhat nullified and stifled in the series against the Vancouver Canucks, with Vegas scoring just one goal combined in Games 5 & 6.
That obviously can’t happen again if the Golden Knights are to win the four games they need to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.
Now, granted, the Knights did come up against an incredibly hot goalie in Thatcher Demko who stopped an incredible 90 of the 91 shots he faced in Games 5 & 6.
But, in saying that, Vegas will come up against more good goaltending when they face the Stars who have Anton Khudobin between the pipes.
Although not Ben Bishop, who is currently rated as “Unfit To Play,” Khudobin has been solid for Dallas with a 2.94 Goals Against Average and a .909 Save Percentage in 13 postseason starts.
And, if Bishop does return at some point during this series, then that just throws another challenge at the Golden Knights and their stagnant offense.
It won’t last though.
With how talented and how determined that top-six forward unit is, it is only a matter of time until they break out of their funk and we are predicting a game where they light the lamp for fun.
There is no doubt that the likes of Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty and Jonathan Marchessault would have been frustrated by laying a goose egg against the Canucks, and they will want revenge.
They will get their revenge and the Dallas Stars will be on the wrong end of it, being blown out in an ugly loss with the Golden Knights’ offense finally exploding.
When it will happen we don’t know but we predict it will happen this series and, if it happens early, then that could be the major difference between the two teams.
3. Karlsson to break out
William Karlsson plays a huge role for the Golden Knights and he’s one of the most underrated two-way forwards in the NHL.
His natural game allows Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty to really shine in the offensive zone, knowing that Karlsson will play a 200 foot game and excel in his own end too.
Karlsson has been solid offensively throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs too, recording eight points (3 G, 5 A) in 16 games while averaging 18:48 minutes of ice time per game.
However, we think there is more to come from the center.
And we predict that Karlsson will break out in this series against the Stars.
We all know Karlsson’s offensive upside and he’s due a run of games where he absolutely goes off.
He’s helped by the fact that he’s playing on a line with Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone, and it is only a matter of time until Karlsson significantly adds to the three goals he has in the postseason so far.
We are at the point of the postseason where your best players really step up and take control, and the opportunity is there for Karlsson to elevate his game.
He only has one power play point in 16 games but we predict that Karlsson will shift gears and will emerge as a legit offensive threat.
He’ll up his production on both the PP and at 5-on-5, and if William Karlsson can put some serious numbers up in this series then that will only aid the Golden Knights in trying to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.