After his team’s 3–0 win over Dallas, Coach Daly said, “I want a drink after the last three games before I think about Dallas. We’ll talk tomorrow.” This is the second time in the franchise’s three-year existence that the Knights are in the conference finals.
This was not nearly caused by an opponent: Thatcher Demko, the Canucks’ backup goaltender who took an “unfit” game from Jacob Markstrom in Game 5 with his team 3–1 in the series. Demko faced 125 shots in the last three games of the series and intercepted 123 of them, with Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore scoring goals in games 5 and 7 only to have him caught.
Jonathan Marchassault of Vegas said, “It’s as tough as we can face. That goalkeeper was unbelievable. It was hard to get him into a past.”
DeKocco made 33 saves in Game 7 after shutting down the Golden Knights in Game 7 just 24 hours earlier. Theodore’s power-play goal at 13:52 in the third period was the game-winner, with Alex Touche and Paul Stasti scoring empty-net goals.
“Whenever you see a young player succeed, you’re proud of them,” said Vancouver coach Travis Green of Demco, who lives in San Diego, 24 years old. “I’ve been with him for some time and I’m happy for Demco to raise his game to this level.”
Vegas goalkeeper Robin Lehner was superb, he faced all 18 shots.
“At times it felt like we could play six hours and not run on them,” DeBoer said. “What he did, and in the last three games with him he could put electricity in a bottle and how he played … what I’m proud of is how our group got stuck with it. When you hit a hot goalkeeper like you . ” , You can fall into the trap of cheating to try and push for more crime. Sticking with it in what we were doing, our belief system, that’s something I’m proud of. ”
The mental challenge was just what Demco was doing in goal; The San Jose Sharks also had to battle the devastating Game 7 loss of the last postseason to the Mental Monsters.
Déjà vu was almost too much to process. Last postden against the Sharks, the Golden Knights exploded from a 3–1 series to force a game. 7. Like Vancouver, he played better against the Sharks in Game 7. The turning point was a big penalty in the previous season 7 game. On former Golden Knights center Cody Ekin who scored four power-play goals for the Sharks. On Friday night against Vancouver, Vegas Ryan Reeves took a major penalty for a check to head Canucks forward Tyler Mottay in the second period.
“Five-minute major, right? A penalty kill in a Game 7?” De Cock dodged posting the Sharks team before being hired by the Knights in January.
But this time, things were different. The Golden Knights hit their major penalties – and Vancouver plays three more in the game.
“You have to think [last postseason] Crossed our minds a little bit, “said Marchsault.” We knew this year that there was no adverse situation that we faced with the bat. It was just a matter of time. Stick to the process. Every team we face has to face adversity: a hot goalkeeper or a five-minute major or something like that. ”
The Golden Knights faced unfavorable conditions and beat them. “We had no passengers tonight. We had 20 people who were committed to the advance,” DeBoer said.
The Knights and Stars inaugurated their conference finals in Edmonton, Alberta on Sunday.
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