Golden Knights Round-Up: Karlsson, Howden and more

The vibes are high in the Stanley Cup playoffs right now. The Vegas Golden Knights are in the midst of an incredible Stanley Cup run, trying to add a second title to their collection. They've seen their odds have new life breathed into them.

You can thank John Tortorella for making that happen. The new Golden Knights head coach rattled off an 7-0-1 run to close out the regular season, leading the team to a Pacific Division title. In turn, there's a sense of hope within Las Vegas, where fans believe that they can go all the way.

I know, it seems far-fetched. But anything can happen.

Just ask the 2012 Los Angeles Kings, who rode the Jonathan Quick wave to their first Stanley Cup. When you have hot goaltending (or any position, for that matter), you can achieve anything. That could be the case for a Golden Knights team with swagger, doing whatever it takes to win another title.

So, let's look at what happened in the past week. Who stepped up for the Golden Knights? Who stepped back onto the ice for the Golden Knights, bringing collective smiles across the Las Vegas valley? Let's hop into the realm and see what's shaking.

William Karlsson skates in a regular jersey for the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday

It's the news that everyone has waited for. The Vegas Golden Knights got William Karlsson back on the ice in a regular jersey for Friday's practice, adding one more significant piece to the lineup.

This season, Karlsson has four goals and three assists in 14 games. Sure, that's a massive downfall from previous seasons (think 2017-18, where he scored a franchise-record 43 goals). But you can't deny that he'll help in other facets, such as the special teams, face-offs, and defensive structure.

Brett Howden continues to be a clutch scorer for the Golden Knights

The Golden Knights were in the middle of a coin-flip battle in Game 5. Their playoff fates were hanging in the balance of one hero, one person who could step up to the plate and save the day. Enter Brett Howden.

Howden has made his living on one of the most surprising units of all: the penalty kill. But scoring on the penalty kill is better than nothing, especially when you're trapped in a battle with the Utah Mammoth. Also, the former first round pick has three overtime playoff goals, the most in playoff history.

Someone let Pavel Dorofeyev get hot

Entering Friday's game, Pavel Dorofeyev had four goals in his last two games. That included the game-tying goal in Game 5, which set up the Golden Knights for a thrilling double-overtime victory. Without those goals? The Golden Knights would've been eliminated.

Instead, they've seen a slumbering bear finally wake up in the playoffs and take charge. That's excellent news for a Golden Knights team looking for another Stanley Cup. If Vegas can get the most from its stud Russian winger, that'll bode well for its future—and his.

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