Once again, the Vegas Golden Knights are in control of their own destiny on the road.
On Thursday, the Golden Knights look to advance to their fifth Conference Final in their nine seasons and eliminate the Anaheim Ducks in Game Six.
Venue: Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
Date: Thursday, May 14
Time: 6:30 pm PST
How To Watch: TNT, truTV, HBO Max
Radio: 1340 AM, 94.7 FM
The Golden Knights got a significant update in their path to the Stanley Cup on Wednesday, with the Colorado Avalanche punching their ticket to the Western Conference Final by defeating the Minnesota Wild. A victory over Anaheim would lock Vegas into a series with the reigning President’s Trophy winner, marking the first playoff matchup between Vegas and Colorado since the Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche in six games in 2021. All the Golden Knights have to do to make that matchup a reality is to head to Southern California one more time and handle their business.
Here is how the Golden Knights can secure their path directly from Anaheim to Denver.
Prove your worth
The Golden Knights received some rough news on Wednesday, as the NHL Department of Player Safety ruled that defenseman Brayden McNabb was suspended for Game Six after being ruled for interference against Ducks forward Ryan Poehling.
It puts Vegas behind the eight ball before the puck drops, as the Golden Knights were already without Mark Stone and Jeremy Lauzon for most, if not the entire series. John Tortorella will have to lean heavily on the depth defenders to get the job done, and players like Ben Hutton and Dylan Coghlan were able to get the job done in Game Five. If the Golden Knights wish to finish the job tonight, they will need a similar performance from everyone on the back end.
Hertl power
The narratives about Tomas Hertl going ice cold at the end of the season are dissipating in real time.
After a harsh stretch that saw Hertl go 30 games without a goal, the Czech forward has responded with goals in back-to-back contests. Despite having the most high-powered offense in the postseason with 39 goals so far, the Golden Knights can never have enough scoring threats in their lineup at any given time. If Hertl’s hot streak rides through this game and beyond, Vegas will be in great shape moving forward.
Keep up the pace
Some of the top performers so far this postseason can be found on the Golden Knights roster, and another prime performance is needed to secure a spot in the Conference Final.
Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden are tied for the league lead with seven goals each so far this postseason, while Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel are also on top with 16 points and 14 assists, respectively. Ivan Barbashev has also pulled his weight with a league-leading 61 hits, while Carter Hart is second in the NHL with 319 saves. With positive contributions coming from multiple sources, the Golden Knights could use all the help they can get to reach the halfway mark of the Cup race.