Keep Howden in mind when looking for a Golden Knights hero in Final

RALEIGH, N.C. — If you’re looking for a hero to emerge for the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final Tuesday night, look beyond the obvious.

Yes, Mitch Marner, Shea Theodore, Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Pavel Dorofeyev and Carter Hart are all capable of filling that role.  But how about Brett Howden?

Yes, Brett Howden.

He’s only tied for the team lead in playoff goals with 10. He’s teamed up with Marner and William Karlsson to give John Tortorella as strong a second line as you’ll find. His game is well-suited for championship playoff hockey, meaning he’ll go to the dirty areas and do what needs to be done to generate offense.

He’ll also get physical and even sometimes take a penalty or two. But those transgressions can be forgiven, within reason of course.

But when they drop the puck at the Lenovo Center, keep an eye on No. 21. He’ll be the guy creating havoc against the Carolina Hurricanes. In fact, Howden would be a perfect Cane with his style of play.

Howden:

Toprtorella is sold on Howden. And not just for the offense he’s provided.

“He’s a really good player,” Tortorella said. “I trust him. I’ll use him 4 on 4, on the penalty kill. He’s an impressive guy in all situations.”

And when your earn Torts’ praise, well, that’s as good a compliment as a player can expect.

“That means a lot,” Howden said. “When the coach puts you out there on the PK, the power play or your regular shift, that does so much for your confidence.”

The truth is, Howden was a favorite of each of the three Golden Knights coaches he played for. Pete DeBoer loved him. So did Bruce Cassidy. And now, Tortorella.

“I’ve tried to grow, as both a player and as a person,” he said. “I knew there were parts of my game I needed to improve and i’ve worked hard at doing so. I’ve really enjoyed playing for (Tortorella). He’s a no nonsense guy. He tells it like it is and you have to respect that.

“I think everyone responded to him and our confidence returned as a group.”

Two seasons ago, Howden had a breakthrough year, scoring a career-high 23 goals and 40 points. This year, injuries slowed him down, limiting him to just 40 appearances in the regular season and diminished results — 12 goals and 10 assists.

But the playoffs have seen a resurgence in his game. His 10 goals include three shorthanded tallies. He has 12 points total in the 16 games and is a plus-9 while averaging almost 17 minutes a game. That’s trust.

“I try to get open, get to the areas of the ice where I can do something, make a play or help someone else make a play,” he said. “Playing with Mitch and Karly, they make it so easy. They’re so skilled.”

Howden said the challenge for his line, and frankly, all the Golden Knights’ skaters, is to increase the volume of shots that Carolina goaltender Fredrik Andersen sees during the Final. Montreal averaged less than 18 shots a game in losing to the Hurricanes in five games.

“I think for us, we need to focus on what we do well, what we’ve been doing,” Howden said. “They’re a great defensive team. But we have a lot of great players and everyone just needs to focus on doing their job.”

He may not win the Conn Smythe Trophy, which goes to the MVP of the playoffs, but if the Knights manage to win the Stanley Cup, there’s a good probability that Howden, who has three overtime game-winning goals on his resume, will have played a vital role. It will add to the “Big Game Brett” nickname that he has earned for delivering in the most important moments.