William Karlsson, William Carrier, and Jonathan Marchessault are heading back to the Stanley Cup Final five years after their first quick run with the Vegas Golden Knights in their inaugural season.
The trio helped ensure no Game 7 was needed, as Karlsson scored twice and added an assist in a 6-0 rout of the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final on Monday night. Carrier and Marchessault also scored as Vegas clinched the series after Dallas had forced Game 6 following a 3-0 series lead.
“We’ve worked hard as a group. The goal was to get back here from the start,” Marchessault said. “But our best game is yet to come, and that’s the mentality we need to have.”
Reilly Smith, Brayden McNabb, and Shea Theodore, all original members of the 2017-18 team that reached the Stanley Cup Final, were also part of the win. The Golden Knights took Game 1 in that 2018 Final but lost four straight to the Washington Capitals.
“That first year was a whirlwind, and we maybe took it for granted,” said Karlsson, who, along with Marchessault and Smith, has played in all 83 of Vegas’ playoff games since the franchise began.
Keegan Kolesar and Michael Amadio each contributed a goal and an assist in the win. Vegas will now face the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final, starting with Game 1 at home on Saturday night.
Adin Hill stopped 23 shots for his second career playoff shutout, both against Dallas. Hill had previously blanked the Stars 4-0 in Game 3.
“We kept them to the outside all night,” Hill said. “This was probably my easiest game of the playoffs so far.”
After needing overtime in three of the series’ games, the Golden Knights left no doubt in Game 6, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first period with 16 shots on goal.
“It was definitely our best game of the playoffs, and it came at the perfect time,” said coach Bruce Cassidy. “We didn’t want to let them off the mat.”
The win marked the most lopsided playoff defeat for the Stars since the franchise relocated to Dallas in 1993.
“You expect more of yourself in a game like this,” said 38-year-old Stars forward Joe Pavelski, still chasing his first Stanley Cup after 17 seasons.
Dallas got captain Jamie Benn back from his two-game suspension for a cross-check on Mark Stone in Game 3, but Benn managed just one shot in 12 1/2 minutes on the ice and was on for two of Vegas’ first three goals.
Carrier opened the scoring at 3:41 of the first period, poking in a backhander after finding space in front of the net. Karlsson added a power-play goal midway through the first to make it 2-0. The opportunity came after Stars defenseman Esa Lindell swatted a puck out of play, drawing a delay-of-game penalty.
Karlsson scored his second goal early in the third period, extending the lead to 5-0 and setting a new franchise record for most goals in a single playoff series with 10.
“It’s disappointing to end this way,” said Stars coach Pete DeBoer. “Vegas just took their game to another level.”
Game Notes
Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, who had been 3-0 when facing elimination this postseason, was pulled after allowing three goals on 23 shots. He had rebounded after being chased early in Game 3, but couldn’t stop the Golden Knights’ relentless attack. Dallas became the fifth team to force a Game 6 in a conference final after trailing 0-3 in the series but fell short of taking it to Game 7.
The Golden Knights now focus on the Florida Panthers, who completed a sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final.