3 defining moments from the Golden Knights Stanley Cup run last season
Although the Golden Knights aren't in the playoffs this season, it's fun to look back and see how they won their first Stanley Cup.
Although the Vegas Golden Knights aren't in the playoffs this season, it's fun to look back and see how they won their first Stanley Cup. After all, nostalgia is a powerful tool, which is why everyone's seeing a slew of reboots and remakes. Why not go down memory lane and see some defining moments from last season?
Let's lay out the plot for those not in Las Vegas. The Golden Knights fired their head coach, Pete DeBoer after they missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Granted, 2021-22 wasn't too kind to the team, for it brought an unbridled collapse and many injuries to the team. Still, he was replaced by Bruce Cassidy, who's fresh from Boston and looking for a new start.
The team comes out swinging, starting 13-2 in their first 15 games. On par with the Boston Bruins (who would have a record-breaking regular season), everything is good in Las Vegas. Then they remained steady until January 14, which started a dry run of four points in eight games. Everyone is panicking and mass hysteria ensues among the fan base.
Then, a funny thing happened. The All-Star Break goes and Vegas suddenly goes on a five-game winning streak. That started with a resounding 5-1 road victory over the Nashville Predators on February 7, 2023. Eventually, that would lead to the Golden Knights winning the Pacific Division and gaining home ice advantage throughout the Western Conference side of the playoffs.
After that, the Winnipeg Jets were soundly defeated, followed by the Edmonton Oilers and the Dallas Stars. Then, Vegas took care of Florida in the Stanley Cup Finals, 4-1, to finish their story and win their first title. Memory lane is calling, so let's look back at the three defining moments of last season's awe-inspiring run.
Michael Amadio's double-overtime goal in game three against Winnipeg
The Vegas Golden Knights were deadlocked in a battle against the Winnipeg Jets in game three of the first round. After surrendering a 4-1 lead, tensions were high for fans. Suddenly, Connor Hellebuyck was playing better after a disastrous first two periods and the Jets offense found life. As a result, the game went into overtime. However, it wasn't until the second overtime that Michael Amadio saved the day.
Dylan Samberg tries to clear the puck out of his own zone, only for it to bounce off Ivan Barbashev. Amadio pounces on the open puck to fire a one-timer past Hellebuyck, sending everyone home. It was a series-defining goal that prevented a terrible collapse from being completed, with the Vegas forward's situational awareness coming in clutch.
What's more, this was his first playoff goal of his career. It couldn't have come at a better time, for the Golden Knights nearly lost control of the game (and possibly the series). While losing Josh Morrissey for the rest of the series played a significant role, the Canadian center's timely goal also put the Stanley Cup run into motion.
Blowing out the Dallas Stars to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals
After going up 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals, the Vegas Golden Knights suddenly lost the next two games. It seemed that Pete DeBoer was figuring out Vegas, with some luck finally swinging his way. The fan base started becoming nervous about a potential collapse.
However, the Golden Knights left no doubt in the next game, blowing out the Stars, 6-0. Vegas jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in that game with Karlsson, William Carrier, and Keegan Kolesar all chipping in goals in the first period. The team never looked back after that, sending DeBoer's squad packing. Behind William Karlsson's two goals and an assist and Adin Hill's shutout, Vegas moved on to face the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals.
This series could've gone the other way considering the first two games went into overtime. However, it's better to be lucky than good, which Vegas got in this matchup. But for the series's final game, they were outright great, dominating the Stars in every statistical category.
Adin Hill's breathtaking stop on Nick Cousins
Sometimes, you know a team is destined to win it all with a defining moment in the Stanley Cup Finals. Adin Hill's amazing stop on Nick Cousins in game one is a shining example of this, with the goaltender swinging the momentum in favor of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Early in the second, the Florida Panthers were on the attack. A wild sequence left a loose puck, a wide-open net, and Nick Cousins with the biggest opportunity in the world. Cousins shoots the puck in what looked like a sure-fire goal, except the Vegas goaltender stuck out his stick out of desperation. The result? A massive shift in the series dynamic and the Golden Knights took the first game of the series (and the Stanley Cup).
The funny thing about all this is Adin Hill wasn't the starting goaltender entering the playoffs last season. Laurent Brossoit was a default starter due to a wave of injuries slamming Vegas hard. However, Brossoit suffered an injury in the third game of the Edmonton Oilers series, so in comes Hill. Imagine if the British Columbia native didn't get his opportunity.
feed