Okay, Vegas Golden Knights fans. It's time to breathe and exhale. Unclench those butt cheeks and relax for a couple of days because the Golden Knights have won Game 6 against the Dallas Stars. With a decisive 2-0 victory, the series shifts back to Dallas on Sunday for a do-or-die Game 7.
Nobody said this would be an easy game to win. That certainly wasn't the case when both Dallas and Vegas were going back and forth on scoring opportunities in the second period. It seemed like the next goal would be the winner. What's the thing they call that? Oh, right. Overtime.
It felt like Game 7, with the game going into overtime. Tensions were high and the Golden Knights had a sense of urgency. That led to a chip on their shoulders, where they dominated the neutral zone and turned Dallas's game plan against them.
This resulted in Noah Hanifin kicking off the scoring in the third period. 1-0, Golden Knights. Now, things are cookin' and the fans are fully on board. It's a matter of staving off the Stars and eating up the clock. That's how Vegas would force a Game 7 against the Western Conference's best team.
But a funny thing happened. The defending Stanley Cup champions played like, well, champions. They played a proactive "keep away" game, not letting the puck through their vicious wall. The Golden Knights forecheck picked up the slack, with an additional goal sealing the deal.
But now comes the hard part: Winning Game 7 in Dallas on Sunday. That means duplicating that effort and moving on to the next round. Meanwhile, there are some takeaways from the Vegas Golden Knights winning Game 6 tonight. Here are three takeaways from Vegas's crucial victory on Friday.