Golden Knights' Alec Martinez Says He Played NHL Playoffs with Broken Foot Injury
Jun 26, 2021
MONTREAL, QC - JUNE 24: Las Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Alec Martinez (23) passes the puck along the blue line during the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Semifinals game 6 between the Las Vegas Golden Knights versus the Montreal Canadiens on June 24, 2021, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez played a significant role in the team's run to the Stanley Cup semifinals, a feat made even more impressive because he played the entire postseason with a broken foot.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Martinez opened up about the routine he had to go through to be able to play each game:
"In terms of my daily routine, it was a lot of rest and staying off it, and just managing the swelling and all that. I couldn't have done it without our medical staff. I sound like a broken record, but they were pretty incredible. I'm very thankful to them to be able to manage something and put me in a position where I could go compete with the guys playing the best time of the year."
Martinez didn't specify when the injury occurred, but he appeared in all 19 playoff games for the Golden Knights.
The 33-year-old had an average ice time of 23:32 per game, slightly higher than his regular-season total (22:34). He scored six points (four goals, two assists) in the postseason.
Vegas' playoff run came to an end on June 24 with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 6 of the semifinals.
This is an important offseason for Martinez. The Michigan native is set to become an unrestricted free agent after spending the past 1.5 seasons with Vegas. He was traded to the Golden Knights by the Los Angeles Kings in February 2020.
Martinez's 32 points in 53 games during the regular season were his most since the 2016-17 campaign.
Vegas led the NHL with 40 wins in the regular season and its 82 points were tied with the Colorado Avalanche for most in the league. The franchise has made the playoffs in each of its first four seasons, including an appearance in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.
Nicolas Roy Scores OT Goal as Golden Knights Top Canadiens in Game 4; Series Tied 2-2
Jun 21, 2021
Vegas Golden Knights center Nicolas Roy (10) in the first period of Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series Tuesday, June 8, 2021,in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Vegas Golden Knights evened their Stanley Cup semifinals series with the Montreal Canadiens at two games apiece following a 2-1 overtime win on Sunday at Bell Centre in Montreal.
Nicolas Roy waited until just 1:18 into the extra frame to give Vegas the victory.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 21, 2021
With the result, the Golden Knights once again have home-ice advantage as the series heads back to Nevada.
Notable Performers
Robin Lehner, G, Golden Knights: 27 saves, .964 save percentage
Nicolas Roy, C, Golden Knights: one goal, two shots, three hits
Paul Byron, RW, Canadiens: one goal, one shot, one blocked shot, one hit
Lehner Answers the Call
Golden Knights coach Peter DeBoer opted to make a change between the pipes, swapping Marc-Andre Fleury out for Robin Lehner.
Fleury made an incomprehensible gaffe in Game 3 to hand Josh Anderson a goal inside the final two minutes of regulation. Still, the move was a bit of a surprise since Lehner surrendered seven goals during his only appearance of the postseason.
DeBoer must've known something nobody else did because Lehner was excellent for Vegas.
The 29-year-old made a sprawling pad save on Eric Staal in the first period.
Equally surprising was the collective performance of the Golden Knights' forward lines. This continued a trend that spanned the previous two games, with Alex Pietrangelo accounting for three of the team's last four goals.
Vegas had four shots in the first period, and things didn't get much better from there for a large chunk of the game.
I repeat. This one-man high style of the #GoldenKnights just isn't working against the #Canadiens.
This is the worst the Golden Knights have looked in a playoff game in quite some time. Just 12 shots through two, and 20 minutes away from a 3-1 deficit. Canadiens lead 1-0 after two periods#VegasBorn
This is NOT how you beat Carey Price. Lehner or Fleury can’t create space in the slot for chances. This is on the VGK forwards and nobody else. Oh and good job by MTL defending!!!! pic.twitter.com/yuSmJeOZbk
Roy's winner will ease those concerns for the time being.
Timely Breakaway, Stifling Defense Nearly the Winning Recipe for Habs
Nick Suzuki was credited with an assist for Byron's goal, but Shea Weber's involvement in the tally shouldn't go unnoticed. Weber's block on Jonathan Marchessault helped spark the Canadiens' quick breakaway.
That summed up a night when Montreal's defense was winning the day until McNabb turned the tide.
Heading into the third period, it looked like the Habs were on solid footing.
Knights and Canadiens are back for the third.
Montreal is 6-0 this postseason when leading after two. Knights are 1-3 when trailing after two. Their one comeback win was Game 5 against Colorado.
Lehner's save on Caufield took on an added importance after Price surrendered the equalizer. The Canadiens are left to rue their missed opportunities after finishing with a 28-21 edge in shots.
Bizarre two games. Habs didn’t deserve to win game 3, but they did. Then they lose game 4, when it felt like they should have won. 2-2. All good. I believe in Carey.
Perhaps the Habs rebound with a victory in Game 5, nullifying any potential hangover from this defeat.
But they didn't want to hand a win over to a Golden Knights team that was clearly not at its best.
What's Next?
The puck drops Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET for Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
Canadiens Even Series vs. Golden Knights with 3-2 Win in Game 2
Jun 17, 2021
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 14: Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens blocks a shot by William Carrier #28 of the Vegas Golden Knights in the second period in Game One of the Stanley Cup Semifinals during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Canadiens 4-1. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
For the first time all year, the Montreal Canadiens picked up a win in front of a capacity crowd—it just wasn't an audience made up primarily of Habs fans.
Wednesday night's 3-2 victory in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals against the Vegas Golden Knights evened the series a 1-1 as the teams head to Montreal, where they'll face a much different environment.
Due to the pandemic, Canadian franchises played against only each other until this point in the year, and with minimal spectators at that. The Stanley Cup Semifinals pitted the North Division winners against the West-winning Knights, sending the Habs to Vegas where the club had an opportunity to play in front of a capacity crowd for the first since early 2020.
After snapping a five-game winning streak on Wednesday, the Knights will play in Montreal for the first time this year where the Habs are 3-2 this postseason.
The Canadiens got used to playing at T-Mobile Arena real quick, it seems. After finding the back of the net just once in a 4-1 Game 1 loss, the Habs jumped all over the Knights in the first period, taking advantage of some stunning mismatches despite Vegas being afford last change.
But it wasn’t just the two-goal lead the Canadiens took into the second period that was impressive on Wednesday so much as they way they were able to protect it. With a raucous crowd egging them on, the Knights stepped up their offensive pressure in the middle frame, out-shooting the Habs 10-4 and forcing the visitors to ward off the attack.
The Habs—led by goalie Carey Price—proved more than up to the task.
In fact it was a nearly five-minute stretch early in the second period that showed just how dialed in Price was in the victory.
Beginning with 17 minutes remaining in the period, Price fought off a 2-on-0 attempt led by Max Pacioretty, with the former Canadiens captain drawing iron on despite getting the netminder to lose his net. But Price showed an ability to quickly recover as the Knights corralled the rebound, reentered the offensive zone and watched helpless as Mark Stone’s clear look was easily turned aside.
Barely two minutes later, with the Habs still chasing on defense, it was Price again coming up with a massive point blank save on defenseman Alec Martinez, who’d crept towards the crease for a back-door look only for his shot to deflect off Price’s chest.
Martinez had his hands halfway in the air to celebrate a goal before he realized he missed the opportunity to put the puck in the net. It took the Vegas crowd an extra second or two before they realized it as well.
Montreal killed off the Knights’ momentum even further with 14 minutes remaining as forward Joel Armia went to the box for tripping. Vegas could hardly get set-up in the offensive zone on the ensuing power play, let alone sustain any pressure on net.
All that work by Vegas felt even more useless as Paul Bryon put the Habs up 3-0 with 2:15 left in the frame. Alex Pietrangelo would get the goal back a minute later as the Knights finally broke through, but the damage would’ve been plenty worse had Montreal been unable to weather the first 18 minutes of the second period in Game 2.
The Golden Knights had a road record of 19-9-0 this season, but they’re about to embark on a road trip like none they’ve experienced in 2020-21.
Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals will see Vegas become the first American team to cross the Canadian border this season, and it could make for a jarring adventure.
Whereas T-Mobile Arena seat 17,500 fans for Knights games, the famed Bell Centre in Montreal is only allowing in 3,500 spectators for Game 3—a 1,000-capacity jump from the last Habs game when only 2,500 fans were permitted inside.
The health and safety protocols in Canada mean the two clubs will go from playing in one of the league's loudest buildings to one of its quietest.
Just how that'll impact the Knights remains to be seen.
Alex Pietrangelo recorded his 60th career playoff point (10-50—60 in 107 GP). Since he made his playoff debut in 2012, Pietrangelo is one of just four defensemen to reach the mark (also Victor Hedman, John Carlson & Kris Letang). #StanleyCup#NHLStats: https://t.co/iXseI02bF0https://t.co/6eUowKZlFg
What's for certain is that having no fans inside the league bubble last year played a role in Vegas' conference finals elimination. During a recent playoff victory over the Colorado Avalanche last round, Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon wondered aloud whether his team would've hung on without their fans.
“I said after that game just to our own people that that’s maybe a game we don’t win in the bubble last year in Edmonton," McCrimmon said. "Because you don’t have that extra boost that the fans give you."
— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 17, 2021
Whatever boost there is in Montreal for Games 3 and 4 will be minimal at best, not to mention one-sided.
No team will have a tougher test this postseason than what awaits the Knights in Montreal. Dropping Game 2 on home ice only raises the stakes.
What's Next?
Game 3 heads north of the border with a Canadian team hosting a club from the United States for the first time all year. Faceoff is slated for 8 p.m. ET on USA Network live from Bell Centre on Friday, June 18.
Golden Knights Eliminate Avalanche, Will Face Canadiens in Stanley Cup Semifinals
Jun 11, 2021
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 10: The Vegas Golden Knights celebrate after a goal by Keegan Kolesar #55 during the second period against the Colorado Avalanche in Game Six of the Second Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on June 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Vegas Golden Knights have earned a second-round playoff series victory over the Colorado Avalanche after defeating the visitors 6-3 on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena.
Alex Pietrangelo scored the game-winning goal with 18 seconds left in the second period to give Vegas a 4-3 lead.
Pietrangelo also added an assist on a Keegan Kolesar goal to give Vegas a 3-2 lead earlier in the second. Andre Burakovsky got one back for the Avs before Pietrangelo's game-winner.
William Carrier added an insurance tally in the third before Max Pacioretty sealed the win with an empty-netter.
Vegas, which led 2-1 after the first period, won despite taking just 22 shots on goal. In the other crease, Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury came through with 30 saves.
The Golden Knights, who lost their first two playoff games against the Avs, won four straight matchups in response to seal the 4-2 win in the best-of-seven matchup.
Notable Performances
Golden Knights LW Max Pacioretty: 1 G, 1 A, 3 SOG
Golden Knights D Alex Pietrangelo: 1 G, 1 A, 2 SOG
Golden Knights G Marc-Andre Fleury: 30 SV
Avalanche D Devon Toews: 1 G, 5 SOG
Avalanche RW Mikko Rantanen: 1 G, 2 SOG
Avalanche C Nathan MacKinnon: 2 A, 2 SOG
What's Next?
Vegas will play the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Semifinals. The Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders will face off in the other semifinals series.
The Golden Knights will have home-ice advantage for the remainder of the playoffs by virtue of having the most regular-season points remaining among semifinals participants.
Complete Team Effort Guides Vegas to Semifinals
Vegas featured six different goalscorers on Thursday. Nine players had assists. On the back end, Fleury shut down the Avs completely in the third period, allowing Vegas to hold on for the win.
Colorado scored a goal 23 seconds into the game, but undeterred, Vegas fired back less than one minute later thanks to Nick Holden:
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 11, 2021
Vegas took advantage of a defensive breakdown later in the period, as an Alec Martinez cross-ice pass found its way to William Karlsson for a one-timer past Avs goalie Philipp Grubauer:
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 11, 2021
Once again, the Colorado defense faltered, as a puck fired from the blue line into a mass of bodies somehow snuck through into the net after William Carrier took care of business:
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 11, 2021
The Pacioretty empty-netter was icing on the cake, and Vegas moved on thanks to an incredible effort from the entire team.
Avalanche Collapse Complete
Mike Chambers of the Denver Post called the Avalanche's series loss a "collapse" following the 6-3 defeat on Thursday, and it's hard to argue otherwise.
Colorado looked destined for the next round after a dominant 7-1 win in Game 1 followed by a 3-2 overtime victory in Game 2, but the Golden Knights proceeded to outscore the Avalanche 17-8 over the next four games to advance.
There are plenty of reasons why the Avalanche are going home early.
The top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen didn't come through, going cold for a long stretch in this series. Although the three combined for a power-play goal in the second period, their struggles in even-strength situations continued, with the trio combining for just one assist otherwise.
MacKinnon, an NHL MVP finalist who had a phenomenal season, was clearly disappointed afterward:
The Avs have now lost in the second round of the playoffs for three-straight years.
Nathan MacKinnon: "I'm going into my ninth year next year and haven't won shit. I'm definitely motivated. It just sucks."
It was also a nightmarish game for the Avalanche defense, particularly, Sam Girard, who finished the night with a minus-four. That completed a four-game stretch where he went minus-nine.
This series was a clear anomaly for Girard, who had finished plus-15 and played a key role for one of the best defenses in the league. But for whatever reason, he had a bad series.
Love Sam Girard but this has been a tough series for him among many Avs D. You expect more from him though and his passes haven’t been on target, breakouts have been sloppy.
Girard will certainly bounce back, and he has a very bright NHL future. Plus, the team's struggles went far further than him, as the defense and goaltending as a whole did not fare well.
Colorado allowed the second-fewest goals per game in the league in the regular season. Granted, the Avs were playing a powerhouse Golden Knights team, but Colorado surprisingly struggled after an excellent start.
In the end, the Avs made a dent in the playoffs and got to the second round, but for the third straight year, that's where their season will end.
Mark Stone OT Winner Gives Golden Knights Game 5 Win over Avalanche
Jun 9, 2021
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 06: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights shoots the puck against Philipp Grubauer #31 of the Colorado Avalanche during the first period in Game Four of the Second Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on June 06, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
After going down two games to start the series, the Vegas Golden Knights will head home with the chance to take it.
The Golden Knights used a late rally to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in overtime at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Tuesday to take a 3-2 series lead.
Mark Stone scored the winner 50 seconds into the extra period to lead the Golden Knights, who have now won the last three games.
The Avalanche have struggled to get pucks on net since coming away with their first two wins in the series. Entering Tuesday, they were outshot by Vegas 110-52 dating back to the first period of Game 2, according to Nicholas J. Cotsonika of NHL.com.
Head coach Jared Bednar split up his top line, moving Brandon Saad up to skate alongside Nathan Mackinnon and Mikko Rantanen in place of Gabriel Landeskog—a move that paid off.
Saad put Colorado on the board in the final seconds of the first period.
— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 9, 2021
The goal was a major boost to a top line that had been shuttered as of late.
That was the first line's first 5-on-5 goal since the second period of Game 1, and it came from Brandon Saad, who just got moved up to the top line today.
The shot totals were even at 10-10, but the Avalanche had a renewed energy heading into Game 5. That was clear in the number of takeaways they had—totaling eight by the time the horn sounded. In contrast, they had five takeaways in the entirety of Game 4, when they fell 5-1.
They carried that momentum into the second frame, and Joonas Donskoi doubled the lead as the Avalanche tacked on 13 more shots in the frame.
— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 9, 2021
But their game wasn't nearly as smooth to start the third, as a pair of turnovers led to a pair of goals for Vegas, and an inability to overcome it sent the game to overtime.
Golden Knights Rally Late
After one, the scoreboard wasn't reflective of what was an even first period in Denver. Vegas, which overpowered Colorado with its shooting in the past two games, ended up matching the Avs' shot total in the frame after getting decimated early.
And even though the period was punctuated by a goal for the Avalanche, Vegas had begun to battle back after a hot opening from Colorado:
Here's a graph on the shot attempts differential in the first period, per @NatStatTrick.
Avalanche started well, then Knights started to push back. We'll see if the trend carries over into the second. #VegasBornpic.twitter.com/kUYDbRZAvs
It didn't hold for Vegas, as the Knights only got five shots off in the second period compared to 13 from the Avalanche.
Whatever head coach Pete DeBoer said in the locker room in between periods clearly made a difference, as Alex Tuch got one on the board for Vegas just 63 seconds into the period.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 9, 2021
After a dominant performance in the games preceding Tuesday's Game 5, the Golden Knights managed a late rally to keep themselves in it, and that momentum could be dangerous in what's left of this series.
What's Next?
Game 6 will be played in Las Vegas on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.
Mikko Rantanen Overtime Winner Gives Avalanche Game 2 Win vs. Golden Knights
Jun 3, 2021
Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) is congratulated by teammates Cale Makar (8) and Mikko Rantanen (96) after scoring a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series Sunday, May 30, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
The Colorado Avalanche just keep rolling.
After sweeping the St. Louis Blues in the first round and destroying the Vegas Golden Knights by six goals in Game 1 of their second-round series, the Avalanche pushed their lead to 2-0 over their West Division rivals with a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory in Wednesday's Game 2 at Ball Arena.
— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 3, 2021
Mikko Rantanen scored the winning goal after goaltender Philipp Grubauer led the way for much of the game.
The return of Marc-Andre Fleury in between the pipes wasn't enough for the Golden Knights, who will look to turn things around on home ice.
Notable Player Stats
Philipp Grubauer, G, COL: 39-of-41 shots saved
Mikko Rantanen, RW, COL: Game-winning goal
Samuel Girard, D, COL: 2 AST
Marc-Andre Fleury, G, VGK: 22-of-25 shots saved
Shea Theodore, D, VGK: 2 AST
Philipp Grubauer Shines Before OT Goal
The scariest thing in the NHL at this point is Colorado's attack, and whether Vegas could at least contain it was one of the biggest storylines coming into Wednesday's game.
After all, it scored 5.4 goals per game in its first five postseason wins and poured in seven in the opening victory over the Golden Knights. The offense has been so dominant that it has largely overshadowed Vezina finalist Grubauer, who was largely dialed in during those first five wins.
It was more of the same right from the start in Game 2, as Colorado's speed and skill overwhelmed Vegas and created four power-play opportunities in the first period alone.
— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 3, 2021
Brandon Saad and Tyson Jost found the back of the net in that opening 20 minutes with the latter goal coming on one of those power plays. To the visitors' credit, though, that didn't portend another blowout, as they finally slowed the Avalanche's daunting attack through the second period and put some of the pressure on Grubauer.
A tie game in the third period with a seemingly in-control Vegas slowing Colorado's offense and getting involved on the other end of the ice is the first time Grubauer has faced extensive pressure this postseason.
He responded beautifully to it and—with plenty of help from the post—kept the Avalanche in the game and forced overtime despite the Golden Knights' massive 41-25 advantage in shots.
That was all the Avalanche needed, and they fittingly took advantage of yet another power play when Rantanen buried a shot in overtime.
Missed Opportunities Cost Vegas
The only hope for Vegas coming out of Game 1 was the fact that Fleury didn't play and could swing the momentum of the series with one vintage performance.
Unfortunately for the visitors, it was hard to feel confident after the Vezina finalist gave up a goal to Saad through the 5-hole within the first four minutes. It didn't help that the team in front of him looked lost at the start and committed four penalties before the first period ended.
Even when Alec Martinez scored a power-play goal for the Golden Knights, the momentum was short-lived as Colorado took advantage of one of those power-play chances to retake the lead before the first period ended.
— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 3, 2021
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 3, 2021
Then the second and third periods happened.
For the first time in the entire series, Vegas started to dictate play and establish a forecheck and consistent attack. The result was a game-tying goal from Reilly Smith in the second period and a dominant third period that gave the Golden Knights all the momentum heading into overtime even though they were surely thinking about all their shots that hit the post.
Fleury also deserved plenty of credit for silencing Colorado for multiple periods while Vegas flipped the momentum, which stood in stark contrast to Robin Lehner's Game 1 showing.
Still, the inability to fully capitalize when they controlled the majority of the game proved to be the Golden Knights' undoing. Missed breakaways and shots ringing off posts were the story of the evening for the visitors, and they took one too many penalties by the time the game ended.
What's Next?
The series shifts to Las Vegas for Friday's Game 3.
Golden Knights' Ryan Reaves Suspended For Roughing Avalanche's Ryan Graves
May 31, 2021
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 28: Ryan Reaves #75 of the Vegas Golden Knights warms up prior to Game Seven of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Minnesota Wild at T-Mobile Arena on May 28, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
The NHL issued Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves a two-game suspension for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct following his actions against Colorado Avalanche defender Ryan Graves in Game 1 of the series on Sunday.
Graves was tossed to the ice, and Reaves later admitted to officials that he pulled hair out of the victim while he was on the ground, a report the official corroborated (h/t Jesse Granger of The Athletic).
The incident occurred in the third period with the Golden Knights down 7-1.
With the penalties against Reaves—which added up to a match penalty, a five-minute major and a double minor for roughing—as well as 10-minute misconducts handed out to four separate players following an ensuing brawl, the Avalanche went on a nine-minute power play.
Box score was later updated to include even *more* penalties because, of course. pic.twitter.com/YIIvnFb1sq
The announcement came after Reaves had a hearing with the league's Department of Player Safety on Monday, and after he avoided further discipline following a tough hit on Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter in Game 7 of the first-round series.
He was suspended during last year's postseason run, missing the first game of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars, after he was called for an illegal check to the head of Vancouver's Tyler Motte in Game 7.
Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer defended Reaves after the game, calling him "one of the cleanest tough guys" in the league, while Avalanche coach Jared Bednar had a different opinion of the situation.
"Graves is down in a vulnerable position, and he just stays on top of him and obviously hits him," Bednar told reporters. "So I didn't like the play. But [DeBoer] knows his player. I guess I don't think that [Reaves] is out there trying to injure people on purpose. He's just got a ruggedness to his game."
Game 2—without Reaves—is slated for Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET.
Golden Knights Dominate Wild in Game 7, Advance to Face Avalanche in Round 2
May 29, 2021
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 28: The Vegas Golden Knights celebrate after defeating the Minnesota Wild in Game Seven of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on May 28, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
The opening series provided quite a scare for the Vegas Golden Knights, who took a 3-1 series lead before the Minnesota Wild won two straight to even things up and force the decisive contest.
eliMNated
— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 29, 2021
Mattias Janmark netted his first career hat trick in the victory as the Knights advanced to face the West Division champion Colorado Avalanche in the second round. Minnesota, meanwhile, failed to advance out of the first round for its fourth consecutive postseason. The Wild fell 3-1 in a qualifying-round series to the Vancouver Canucks last summer in the NHL bubble.
It's the third time in four years since Vegas joined the NHL that the club has advanced out of the first round. The Knights improved to 2-1 all-time in Game 7s, while the Wild head into the offseason earlier than expected once again.
Notable Performers
Mattias Janmark, C, Vegas Golden Knights: 3 Goals, 4 Shots
Max Pacioretty hadn't been on the ice with his teammates since May 1 with an undisclosed injury.
He was finally able to get the green light to play in Game 7 on Friday with his team's season on the line. That proved a consequential decision right away. Not only did the Knights rely on their star forward to skate for 16:28 (22 shifts), but Pacioretty came through with the eventual game-winning goal in the second period to help put the Wild away for good.
Even with all of its recent playoff success, Friday was the first time Vegas won a series in front of its home fans. The Knights put on an absolute show in the process.
Early end-to-end action showed Game 7 was going to have plenty of wide-open opportunities across the ice. That worked out perfectly well for center Mattias Janmark, who scored three goals on four shot attempts and ensured the Wild wouldn't be able to mount a comeback.
Mattias Janmark on his hat trick- "Game 7 is what everyone dreams about, and to score a hat trick is what everyone dreams of. It's kind of unbelievable it's happening. It was a dream come true."
Unfortunately for the Knights, that dream won't last very long.
Beginning Sunday, they'll have to face a Colorado team that barely edged them for the Presidents' Trophy in the regular season after splitting their eight-game series 4-4.
Neither team won more than two consecutive games against each other in division play, setting up what could be another long series with the fate of the West on the line.
Getting past Minnesota may have been the easy part.
It's been nearly a decade since Zach Parise and Ryan Suter shook up the NHL by signing matching 13-year, $98 million dollar contracts to join the Wild.
At the time, Parise was leaving his role as the captain of the New Jersey Devils only weeks after falling to the Los Angeles Kings in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final to represent the city where his father, J.P., played and the state where he grew up.
Suter, meanwhile, had developed into a No. 1 defenseman with the Nashville Predators and was leaving the middling club for a division rival.
Nine years later, neither has much to show for it aside from their bank accounts. Minnesota has reached the second round of the playoffs just twice in the Parise-Suter era, and while that's not necessarily an indictment of their play, it says plenty about the team Minnesota has built around the two stars.
Head coaching changes haven't helped matters, nor has a new general manager coming in. Now, it remains to be seen if Parise will even finish out his deal with the Wild.
Parise on whether his future/role will need to be addressed: "That conversation's going to be for a different day. We'll see where it goes. I don't know. We'll have to figure that out in the coming summer what's going to happen. But I don't have an answer on that right now."
As rookie Kirill Kaprizov, Jordan Greenway, Kevin Fiala and Joel Eriksson Ek continue to prove they're the future of the franchise—to say nothing of 2020 first-round pick Marco Rossi's impending arrival—the present is looking more and more bleak for veterans like Parise and Suter.
Despite posting 37 points in 44 playoff games with Minnesota, including a spectacular no-look deflection Friday, the Parise and Suter era hasn't lived up to the hype.
Given where the Wild find themselves again at the end of the first round, it's looking increasingly likely the Stanley Cup hopes the two brought to Minnesota won't come to fruition.
What's Next
The Knights will open their second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche on the road in Denver. Game 1 is set for Sunday, May 30 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Vegas Golden Knights Clinch Postseason Berth; Latest 2021 NHL Playoff Picture
Apr 22, 2021
Vegas Golden Knights center Jonathan Marchessault, center, celebrates after scoring against the San Jose Sharks during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, April 21, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Either way, the NHL's newest team is headed to the postseason for the fourth straight season. The Golden Knights, three years removed from a Stanley Cup Final berth in their inaugural season, will be looking to improve on a Conference Finals appearance last year.
This year's playoff format is different than usual. With the league divided into four location-based divisions, the top four teams in each group will make the postseason. The first two rounds of the playoffs will consist of intra-division games and the advancing teams will then be reseeded based on regular-season point total.
Here is a look at what teams would make the playoffs if the season ended today:
The Golden Knights are far from the same team that ran all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in their first season as a franchise, but their roster has put them atop the league table all the same. For the second successive season, the Golden Knights have surged past the competition due to the power of Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty, who served as the team's most productive skaters this season.
Stone is among the league leaders in assists, with 35helpers to go with 18 goals, while Pacioretty has found the net 22 timesand helped out on 24 goals.Shea Theodore is also with Stone on the league leaderboards with 32 assists to go with six goals.
Vegas also welcomed Alex Pietrangelo as a headline signing in free agency. He helped bolster the defense in front of two starting-caliber netminders in Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner.
All of that has combined to help the Golden Knights maintain a postseason presence for the fourth year in as many tries since joining the league.
Robin Lehner Clarifies Comments After Saying NHL Lied About COVID-19 Policies
Apr 21, 2021
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner (90) protects the goal during an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks Friday, April 16, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner went on Twitter to clarify comments he made earlier Wednesday when he claimed that the NHL had lied about its COVID-19 policies.
Lehner's initial quotes were in reference to the league reportedly saying that it would ease COVID-19 restrictions "if the league hit a certain threshold of vaccinations," per Justin Emerson of the Las Vegas Sun.
The Swede said the following, referencing his team's own inoculations: "We were approached and promised things for our league if we got vaccinated. When we did it, now they changed. They said it's not happening. I think that's wrong. That was a lie, a blatant lie."
Lehner issued more remarks about his feelings during a press conference with reporters, and he later gave this statement on Twitter.
"As I'm frustrated like a lot of people in the world right now everything didn't come out of today's press in the right way. Main point is that we need to start take the mental health important as well In this situation. It has a huge impact on everyone in society right now.
"To put competitive edge before well being of people lives is wrong. As I said people are struggling with many different things mentally and we need to consider that as well. Then being lied to makes it worse. I love hockey and the league has done a lot of good things.
"But this missed the mark. My bad to say it's like prison and I apologize but with mental health issues that is developing in the world it develops problems mentally. We will see exactly how this effects everything with time. I don't mean to offend anyone.
"I hope we can all work together to help people that suffers trough mental help from this going forward. I've heard how a lot of people are doing trough this as people talk to me about it."
Emerson summarized the restrictions placed on players this year amid the pandemic: "The NHL has instituted strict restrictions on players that require them to remain largely sequestered in their hotel rooms while on the road. While at home, they are advised not to go out unless necessary."
An NHL spokesperson also issued this statement following Lehner's comments, per Emerson:
Comment from the NHL about Robin Lehner’s remarks today from a league spokesman: pic.twitter.com/saXy2gpVjG
The NHL began its 56-game regular season on Jan. 13. The Golden Knights, who lead the league with 66 points, have 11 regular-season games remaining through May 10. The NHL's point leaders haven't officially clinched playoffs yet, but a postseason berth is a mere formality. The Stanley Cup Final will be held in July, with the latest possible date for Game 7 being on the 15th.
Vegas is one of the top Stanley Cup contenders this year in part because of the 29-year-old Lehner, who is 11-1-2 with a 91.9 save percentage and 2.11 goals-against average in 14 games.
