The Vegas Golden Knights beat the the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 in Game 5 of the Western Conference to win the series 4-1 and earn a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in their first season. The Golden Knights are the first expansion team to make the playoffs in their inaugural season. The Knights swept the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and beat the the San Jose Sharks 4-2 in the second round. The Golden Knights, led by Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, have an overall playoff record of 12-3.
The Golden Knights started the series away in Winnipeg. This was the first time the Golden Knights began a playoff series on the run. In Game 1, Dustin Byfuglien scored 1:05 into the game to give the Jets the 1-0 lead. Later in the first period, Patrick Laine scored to extend the Jets lead to 2-0 on a power play. Within a minute later, the Winnipeg Jets were up by three thanks to a goal Joel Armia. Brayden McNabb scored to put Vegas on the board near the midway point of the first period. Although the Golden Knights came out strong and outplayed the Jets the in the second and the third period, the Knights were not able to recover from the three goals they allowed in the first period and lost the game 4-2. In the following game, Tomas Tatar and Jonathan Machessault scored late in the opening period to give the Golden Knights a 2-0 lead. After no goals from either team throughout the second period, Kyle Connor scored 7:17 into the third to give the Jets new life. However, less than a minute and half later, Jonathan Marchessault scored his second goal of the game to put the Golden Knights up 3-1. Fleury stopped 30 of 31 shots and the Knights won Game 2 3-1. The Golden Knights returned home to an enthusiastic crowd in Las Vegas for the third and fourth game. The Golden Knights kept the crowd excited scoring 35 seconds into the game. The goal was scored by Jonathan Marchessault. It was Marchessault’s seventh goal of the playoffs and third goal of the series. 5:28 into the second period, Mark Scheifele scored to tie the game. It was not long, however, before the Knights got back in the lead. In fact, James Neal scored 12 second after Scheifele’s goal to put the Knights back ahead. Within three minutes of Neal’s goal, Alex Tuch scored, putting the Golden Knights up 3-1. The Jets were not done. Mark Scheifele scored his second goal of the game 18 seconds into the third period. The Jets fought hard and came very close to scoring the tying goal several times. The Jets played well, but Marc-Andre Fleury played spectacularly shutting down scoring chance after scoring chance. Marchessault scored on the empty net with three second remaining in the game. Led by Fleury and Marchessault, the Golden knights took Game 4-2 and the series lead 2-1. The Golden Knights came out attacking in Game 4 just as they did in Game 3. William Karlsson, who led the Knights in goals during the regular season, scored 2;25 second into the first. The first period ended with the Knights in the lead 1-0. Patrick Laine scored on the power play to tie the game at 1-1 in the second period. Once again, the game would not stay tied for long. Tomas Nosek scored within 1 minute of Laine’s power play goal giving the Vegas Golden Knights a 2-1 lead. The Jets would even up the score when Tyler Myers scored 5:34 into the last period. It looked as if the Jets had all the momentum as the took shot after shot on Fleury. However, Reilly Smith scored with 7:58 remaining in the game to put the Knights back on top. Fleury continued his amazing play and the Knights won 3-2. During the game, Fleury stopped 35 shots. The Knights headed back to Winnipeg with the a 3-1 series lead, just one game away from going to the Stanley Cup Finals. Alex Tuch scored 5:11 into the game to give the Golden Knights the lead. With less than three minutes remaining in the first, Josh Morrissey scored for the Jets to tie the game. In the sceonf period, Ryan Reaves scored his first goal of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs putting the Knights in the lead 2-1. No goals were scored in third. Fleury made 31 saves and the Knights won the Game 5 2-1. Led by Marc-Andre Fleury, the Golden Knights won the series 4-1 and are headed to the Stanley Cup Finals as the Western Conference Champions. They will play the winner of the series between the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning lead the series 3-2.
photo by Dinur
