Kelly McCrimmon poised to get the last laugh

LAS VEGAS — I’m not sure if there was talk in the Vegas Golden Knights’ locker room about not wanting to have to get on a plane to return to Denver. It probably got mentioned by someone at some point prior to Tuesday’s Game 4 at T-Mobile Arena.

There was no need to pack a bag to return to Colorado. There will be a need to pack one for a trip to either Raleigh of Montreal next week as the Knights have secured a spot in the Stanley Cup Final following the impressive performance that was the 2-1 Western Conference Final clincher at T-Mobile Arena which sent Vegas to its third Cup appearance in its nine-year existence.

What seemed almost unimaginable in late March when the stunning decision was made to fire Bruce Cassidy and an almost equally stunning decision was made to hire John Tortorella has paid off handsomely, this team is realizing the potential general manager Kelly McCrimmon envisioned last summer when he was constructing the roster.

At its core was bringing in Mitch Marner to boost the offense. He also got some depth on the bottom six and the blue line with Colton Sissons and Jeremy Lauzon.

But the tinkering didn’t end there. McCrimmon bolstered the defense with the acquisition in Rasmus Andersson in January. The goaltending got upgraded with the addition of Carter Hart (more on him shortly). The team needed some veteran experience and depth at center so it traded for Nic Dowd and Cole Smith at the trade deadline, the latter who would score the eventual game-winner Tuesday to send the team to the Stanley Cup Final.

And while there was much hand-wringing over firing Cassidy with eight games to go and bringing in Tortorella, McCrimmon calmly explained that the club felt it was necessary to make the moves it made despite the lateness of the season.

It’s what Torts might say, “took balls.”

One thing you learn early on when you work for Bill Foley — losing is not accepted. You don’t stand pat if there’s a chance to upgrade your position. It’s the “Always advance, never retreat” credo that has been embedded in the way the organization does business since Day One.

So McCrimmon and team president George McPhee do what they do. Yeah, it’s a bit cutthroat at times. Some call it ruthless. But whether it’s moving on from fan favorites like Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonathan Marchessault or bringing in controversial figures like Hart and Tortorella, it’s about one thing — winning.

You don’t have to like it. Hell, many don’t, especially those who are from the other 31 NHL fan bases. But you have to respect what Vegas has managed to accomplish in the short time it has been around. It has led to universal hate for the team outside of Las Vegas.

By the way, for the couple thousand folks in Salt Lake City who decided to trade in their VGK sweaters for Utah Mammoth jerseys, how you feeling today? Any buyer’s remorse?

I won’t even get into the angst fans in Toronto must be feeling right now watching Marner skate into the Stanley Cup Final and doing it as the NHL’s leader in points with 21 (seven goals, 14 assists) and is the betting favorite at the moment to win the Conn Smythe Trophy which goes to the playoffs MVP.

And for those who never wanted to see Hart in the NHL again following his trial for sexual assault for which he was acquitted and was deemed by the league as able to return to play, the anger quotient remains extremely high, which I get given the seriousness of the charges that were brought against him and four others in a Canadian court.

McCrimmon had a goalie who won him a Stanley Cup on his roster. Adin Hill was also making $6 million. To leave a goalie making that much money on the bench, took, well, it took balls.

That was Tortorella’s call by the way. The man who likes to say, “I don’t give a s—“ what people say or think of him, made the decision early in his VGK tenure to ride with Hart, the guy he knew from their days together in Philadelphia.

Hart is the top goalie in the playoffs with a 12-4 record, a 2.22 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. He hasn’t been perfect, mind you. But he’s been pretty damn good and he could find himself with his name on the Stanley Cup if the Knights can find a way to win four more games next month.

Will they? Depends who the opponent is. Carolina and Montreal both offer unique challenges. I’m not sure who Vegas is better suited to face. I go back and forth between the Hurricanes’ experience, toughness and versatility and the Canadiens’ youth, grit and goaltending.

Regardless, it’s going to be a heck of a series whoever the opponent winds up being. But the fact that the Golden Knights are in it after even making the playoffs seemed an uncertainty late in March, to get to this point, is pretty remarkable. They beat three really good teams to get here and whether you like them or not, you’ve got to tap your stick to both McCrimmon and Tortorella. Like their team, they’ve got balls.