You know, I was at the Vegas Golden Knights' practice on Thursday, watching the boys gear up for Salt Lake City. The series is tied at one game apiece and both teams are playing physical hockey. So, it shouldn't be surprising that head coach John Tortorella decided to ramp up the intensity and get the boys moving.
That's exactly what the boys did on Thursday. They ran line rush drills and skated around the rink after every drill, pushing their bodies to the limit. That's what Golden Knights fans hope will happen on Friday as the gang preps for Game 3 against those pesky Mammoth again.
The good news? It appears that there are some good eggs in the bunch for the Golden Knights. The team has gotten some scoring from some unexpected places (and then some), putting them in a better position to take the series. That's all Tortorella could ever ask for from his boys.
Let's go further into this topic and see which three players have carried the load, though. Three names come to mind regarding the Golden Knights and how they've played competitive hockey so far. Who are the three mystery men that have elevated their games for the Golden Knights?
1.) Ivan Barbashev
It seems like Barbashev heard all the rumblings about how he was quiet in the past two postseasons and took that to heart. Suddenly, he's become the heartbeat of the Golden Knights, delivering punishing hits and scoring goals. How effective has he been so far?
Well, he has 12 hits and two goals so far. Teammates like Keegan Kolesar have lauded how he's taken charge throughout the series, acting as the team's proverbial energizer bunny. That could lead to greater things for the Golden Knights, especially if they are looking for depth scoring to carry them.
2.) Mitch Marner
Look, I know that two assists isn't much on the scoresheet. You can still hear Toronto Maple Leafs fans hounding the former "Core Four" member about his production by saying he's not doing enough. But there are a couple of things to that.
First, where are the Maple Leafs in the playoffs this season? That's what I thought. Secondly, Marner has had little trouble transitioning his talents over to the postseason with Vegas. If he can take those numbers to the next level in the series, he'll shed those playoff demons for good.
3.) Noah Hanifin
Noah Hanifin has done much more for the Vegas Golden Knights this postseason than people realize. He has two assists and has done well in the shot-blocking department, adding three blocked shots from Game 2.
The Golden Knights have wanted more from Hanifin during the Stanley Cup playoffs, only for them to be greatly disappointed. The 2025-26 campaign is off to a promising start, though, thanks to his puck distribution and back-checking. If he can carry the blue line's production throughout the playoffs, expect Vegas to go on a deep run for Stanley Cup No. 2.
Add us as a preferred source on Google