Rolling Seven: Golden Knights Win Seventh Straight Playoff Game With Wild 5-4 Comeback Win Against Carolina In Cup Final Game 1 Tuesday
By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — It was several weeks ago early on in the NHL playoffs and I bumped into Vegas Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon who was heading over to watch a Las Vegas Aviators baseball game.
We talked about one player in particular: Tomas Hertl.
At the time, Hertl was in a deep scoring slump when I asked McCrimmon about the VGK center.
McCrimmon had no issue backing Hertl.
“He’s going to score,” he said.
And tonight Hertl proved McCrimmon right.
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Hertl scored the game-winning goal against the Carolina Hurricanes with only three minutes and 24 seconds left in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final in Raleigh, NC to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead in the Best-of-7 NHL championship round. After weeks and weeks of not notching a single goal, Hertl has now four goals in the playoffs — all in the third period.
The final: Vegas 5 Carolina 4
The Knights find a way to win these games. And with seven straight straight wins, it’s been more than three weeks since Vegas has lost a playoff game, going all the way back to Round 2 against Anaheim.
The Carolina Hurricanes had ambushed the VGK with a fast 2-0 lead when VGK coach John Tortorella told his players they they would get their chances with lots of hockey left to be played.
Tortorella, who reminded his team to not play “east-west” hockey, was right.
The VGK ripped off three straight goals in the first and second periods thanks to goals by Shea Theodore, Ivan Barbashev nd William Karlsson to assume a 3-2 lead.
In a game marked by some sloppy puck management and giveaways, Carolina captain Jordan Staal tied the game at three apiece entering the third period.
The Staal goal simply delayed the dramatic inevitable: that the Golden Knights would find a way to score a clutch goal.
After Carolina’s Nikolaj Ehlers scored 25 seconds into the first period and Barbashev scored 30 seconds into the second period, Theodore made a nice move and fed a slick pass to VGK playoff scoring machine Brett Howden who redirected the puck past Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen for a Vegas 4-3 lead only a minute and 21 seconds into the third period.
Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb. known for his bone-crunching hip checks and stellar defensive play, assisted on Howden’s goal — the Nabber’s third assist of the game.
The Hurricanes tied the game at four before Hertl’s late-game goal gave the Knights a lead in this Cup FInal.
Game 2 is Thursday before the Final switches to Las Vegas for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Tuesday.
