All those folks who made novelty bets on the Vegas Golden Knights to win it all this season have become much bigger hockey fans.
The Golden Knights had 500-to-1 odds to win the Stanley Cup as a first-year expansion team. And here they are, in the Cup Final, after making short work of the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets.
From Day 1 of the 2017-88 NHL season Vegas has been one of the most surprising and uplifting sports stories in this part of the world. Against all odds the Golden Knights took players other teams didn’t want and built an immediate title contender.
“I think there were definitely low expectations for us,” Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault told reporters Sunday. “The belief was high for us . . .It was the same thing from the beginning of the year. Everybody thought, oh, we were going to let go at some point. We just love to go against the haters.”
The Golden Knights finished the regular season 51-24-7 for 109 points and won the Pacific Division title.
“I’m just proud of our team,” Vegas forward James Neal told reporters Sunday. “Such a battle all year. We came together very quickly and we all had the same mindset. We believed in each other, we believed in ourselves. Every single guy up and down the lineup chipped in. This is a true team. I’m so excited.”
Winger Ryan Reaves didn’t expect to enhance his postseason chances by moving from the Penguins, the two-time defending champions, to the Golden Knights late in the season.
But Pittsburgh bowed out during the second round of the playoffs while Reaves scored the clinching goal as the Knights beat the Jets for the Western Conference crown.
“Everybody on this team has something to prove,” Reaves told reporters. “We call ourselves ‘The Golden Misfits’ for a reason. We’re doing a good job of proving everybody wrong.”
KNIGHTS KEEP AIMING HIGH
The Golden Knights aren’t just advancing in this playoffs, they are steamrolling opponents. Vegas became just the 13th team to win at least 12 of 15 games to start a postseason since the NHL established the four-round, best-of-seven format in 1986-87.
So why should they be satisfied with just getting to the Cup Final as an expansion team?
“It’s a crazy story, but we’re not done,” Vegas defenseman Luca Sbisa told reporters. “We had a really good start to the year and we just kept going. We went down to our fifth goalie and kept winning.
“A lot of guys have been in the league a lot of years and never been this close. To do this as an expansion team… it’s crazy. But we deserve it. Why not? A lot of people keep saying we’re going to lose. But we never once think about what they’re saying; we think about us. It’s been a fun ride, but we’re not done.”
LIGHTNING-CAPITALS WINNER UP NEXT
Tampa Bay holds a 3-2 edge on Washington with Game 6 tonight in D.C. Monday night the Capitals will try to extend the series to Game 7 Wednesday night in Tampa.
“Our team this year definitely wasn’t a Cinderella story,” defenseman John Carlson told the Washington Post. “But I think for being a division winner, we had to claw our way most of the season. Things didn’t always go our way. I think we can draw from that for what’s upcoming for us.”
Evening the series won’t be easy, given the confidence Tampa Bay is playing with. Just as Marc-Andre Fleury has stood tall in goal for Vegas — producing a .947 save percentage in 15 playoff starts — Andrei Vasilevskiy has become a difference-maker for the Lightning.
After posting a 6.00 goals-against average and .839 save percentage in Games 1 and 2, he has delivered excellent ratios (2.00, .943) since then.
“It’s definitely a fun time,” Vasilevskiy told reporters. “Lot of emotions. Different hockey. It’s pretty fun to play. Just excitement level is pretty high. A different season.”
