Last season, the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers (who are returning to the championship round) in the Stanley Cup Finals, 4-1. The clinching game was a blowout, where Vegas dismantled Florida, 9-3. Behind Mark Stone's hat trick and Jack Eichel's three assists, a beatdown of epic proportions cemented a Stanley Cup for the newer kids. Jonathan Marchessault gets the Conn Smythe for a dominating postseason performance and the team fulfills its owner's promise.
But let's go back to that deciding game since there are many questions surrounding it. For one, what would've happened if the Golden Knights lost the previous game? It was a close call where the Panthers came back and were close to sending the game to overtime. It's safe to say Vegas would've won the Stanley Cup anyway, thanks to their dominance at T-Mobile Arena during the series.
Another question is what is the biggest blowout in Stanley Cup Finals history? If Vegas blowing out Florida in the clinching game by six goals isn't enough, what is? Believe it or not, there was a bigger beatdown than last season's game in the championship round. Let's go back a few decades and see the answer to this brainbuster. Mind you, this involves a team that relocated to the Lone Star State.
The Pittsburgh Penguins demolished the Minnesota North Stars, 8-0, in game six of the 1991 Stanley Cup Finals
In a game that was over in the first two minutes, the Pittsburgh Penguins blew out the Minnesota North Stars in game six of the 1991 Stanley Cup Finals, 8-0. Seven different Penguins scored in the game (including Mario Lemieux, who also had three assists), which clinched the franchise's first Stanley Cup. Joe Mullen scored two goals and added an assist of his own, turning this into the biggest blowout in the history of the NHL's prestigious championship history.
Lemieux won the Conn Smythe that season, establishing Pittsburgh as a true hockey power. While the Penguins went on to win another Stanley Cup, the North Stars dismantled their team the next season. As a result, they made the playoffs, only to lose to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round, 4-3.
Granted, the Penguins teams of the early 1990s were something else. With a team featuring star players such as Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, and Ron Francis, it was tough to stop Pittsburgh. However, the Vegas Golden Knights can reach that same level, putting together an incredible lineup this offseason. Who knows? They might achieve a bigger blowout when they return to the Stanley Cup Finals.