Knights willing to absorb pain in blocking shots

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Vegas Golden Knights would love nothing more than to throw a block party at Lenovo Center beginning Tuesday night. It’s a path, albeit a painful one, to winning a second Stanley Cup.

Blocking shots in the NHL takes courage. Ask Pavel Dorofeyev, who took one off the knee in the Anaheim series then returned to the ice and was the overtime hero of Game 5 when he scored the game winner.

“It’s kind of a s— part of my job, but it hurts more when I miss it,” I just had to get myself together and get back on the ice,” was Dorofeyev’s now-famous postgame quote. And it exemplifies what the mentality is when it comes to blocking shots.

On this team, no one is exempt when it comes to getting in front of pucks. It’s one of those “non-negotiables” that coaches love to talk about. And John Tortorella has been a long-time advocate of demanding his players block opponents’ shots.

The memo was received loud and clear, Through three rounds of this year’s playoffs, the Knights have a total of 278 blocked shots compared to 223 for their opponents. Shea Theodore, who’s not known for being a big shot-blocking presence unlike his blueline partner Brayden McNabb, is second in the NHL in postseason blocks with 46. McNabb has 31 and ranks sixth, followed right behind by Noah Hanifin with 30 and Rasmus Andersson is 11th with 26 blocks.

And if you think the Vegas forwards get a free pass, guess again. Colton Sissons has 17 blocks, Jack Eichel has 16 and Nic Dowd has 14. Dorofeyev? He’s got nine and he’s got the bruises to prove it.

Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin is the Hurricanes’ top shot-blocker with 28, which ranks him ninth in the playoffs. The Canes don’t block a lot of shots. But don’t be fooled. Opponents don’t get a lot of shots for Carolina to block as shot suppression is preached by coach Rod Brind’Amour. In five games of the Eastern Conference Final, the Montreal Canadiens managed just 89 shots total, an average of under 18 shots on goal. No wonder the Habs were sent packing.

Can Carolina contain Vegas’ attack? Can the Knights get enough shooting volume each game to make Frederik Andersen work in the Carolina net? Or will the Canes have to block more shots in order to get the desired result?

Conversely, will Carolina be able to pressure Carter Hart enough and not get frustrated when Theodore, McNabb and the rest of the Knights throw their bodies in the way of shots from the Canes’ shooters?

Defenseman Dylan Coghlan said it’s a mindset that was there before Tortorella arrived, basically emanating from assistant coach John Stevens, whose primary responsibility is working with the Vegas defensemen.

“It’s just one of those things you have to do,” Coghlan said. “I think (Stevens) said it a few times — it hurts more if it goes by you. So just having that mentality and trying to do everything you can.

“I think it started as a joke, but I don't think anybody takes it as a joke. It's true, if it goes by you and it's in the net, then it's not a great feeling, rather than taking it to a soft spot, and it stinging a little bit. I think we're willing to do whatever.”

Which was why Dorofeyev got in front of that shot in the Anaheim series. Yeah, it hurt. But it would’ve hurt more had he not blocked it and the puck went in the back of the net.

So while the Hurricanes have their “Junkyard Dog” line of Taylor Hall, Logan Stanhoven and Jackson Blake, the Knights have their own version of a Junkyard Dog. It’s all about eating pucks.