SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights have punched their ticket to the second round of the playoffs following their decisive victory over the Utah Mammoth.
The Golden Knights secured the series with three consecutive wins, capping off their run with a commanding 5-1 victory in Game 6 on Friday evening, following back-to-back overtime triumphs. Throughout their first three wins in the series, Vegas demonstrated resilience by rallying from third-period deficits.
Since John Tortorella replaced the dismissed Bruce Cassidy as head coach, the Golden Knights have been on a tear, posting an impressive 7-0-1 record to close out the regular season. This transformation took them from a squad fighting for playoff positioning to capturing their fifth division championship in nine years.
The team’s depth, self-assurance, and veteran leadership proved crucial in executing clutch plays during critical moments as the series unfolded.
Forward Mitch Marner and teammate Brett Howden stepped up when it mattered most with clutch performances. Howden found the net four times throughout the series, while Marner contributed two goals along with five assists.
“When you roll four lines, it doesn’t matter too much about where the faceoff is,” Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said. “You can just kind of put whoever out on the ice. But it’s always a new team every year. You always find out who you are in the first round.”
The Mammoth’s quick-strike ability challenged Vegas to adapt their approach, providing valuable experience for their upcoming second-round matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.
“This is a team that came at you with a lot of speed and skill,” Marner said. “They made us work throughout that neutral zone to really try and slow them down and shut down some of their offense.”
The Golden Knights particularly dominated special teams play, effectively neutralizing Utah’s power-play opportunities. The Mammoth managed just one successful conversion in 16 man-advantage situations throughout the series.
Howden contributed two short-handed goals, including the series-clinching overtime winner in Game 5.
“Johnny Stevens, our coach who runs that, had a really good game plan for them,” Tortorella said. “Blocked some shots. Carter (Hart) made some key saves all through this series. (Utah) gained momentum off of it, but we stayed with it.”
