RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Only three players have been around for all nine seasons of the Vegas Golden Knights. This is the third trip to the Stanley Cup Final for William Karlsson, Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb, and the thrill is still there.
“It’s the same feeling as Year 1,” Karlsson said.
That one ended in defeat, but it set the perennial expectations at championship or bust, and Vegas hoisted the Cup in Year 6 in 2023. Eager for another parade on the Las
Vegas Strip, the original Golden Knights wasted no time making an early impact in Game 1 at Carolina.
Karlsson and Theodore each scored, and McNabb had the first three-assist performance of his NHL career in the 5-4 victory on Tuesday night. The Golden Knights leaned on their longest-tenured players to erase another multigoal deficit and will keep relying on them.
“They’re calm,” said coach John Tortorella, who has only been in charge since late March. “The foundation of our team, the guts of our team, has been through this before. ... Those guys kind of lead the way by not panicking. They don’t say much, they just play, and I think other people follow behind them. I think that’s so important this time of year.”
One reason the Golden Knights did not look this dominant during the regular season was Karlsson's lengthy absence because of an undisclosed injury. He was out from early November until the start of the second round.
"I learned not to take anything for granted," Karlsson said. “It wasn’t always just a straight line. Some minor setbacks. But I always have the mind to come back for playoffs, and I’m very happy to be able to be a part of it.”
Karlsson getting back allowed Mitch Marner to shift to his more natural right wing from center. Karlsson has six points and Marner 15 in the 11 games since.
“It’s super fun to play hockey, and I’m happy to be getting a lot of minutes and help the team,” Karlsson said.
The Golden Knights went into the season with a giant void on their blue line, with No. 1 defenseman Alex Pietrangelo unlikely to play again because of a chronic hip injury. Former coach Bruce Cassidy said during the '23 title run that he knew Pietrangelo was good but came to appreciate the do-everything, all-around game up close.
Theodore stepped into that role in Pietrangelo's absence.
“Shea’s game this season has just added a completely different layer than what we were used to because he’s always been a great puck-mover, always been a very good offensive defenseman,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “Shea has become a penalty killer. He never killed penalties prior at all. He’s on the ice when it’s 6 on 5 against, where in the past he would not have been. And I’m really proud of him, to be honest with you. I think he’s really grown into it.”
Tortorella praised Theodore for bouncing back in Game 1 after getting "spanked” on Carolina's opening goal 25 seconds in.
“It doesn’t bother him, and he probably plays one of the better games,” Tortorella said. “He just played. I think it’s a really good lesson for all of us to see.”
Theodore not only scored Vegas' first goal after falling behind 2-0 but delivered a textbook shot-pass to Brett Howden for a goal in the third period.
"His vision is unbelievable," said Howden, whose 11 goals leads the postseason. "He wasn’t even looking at me, but I feel like he knew that I was going there and he made an unbelievable pass there. I just had to chip it in.”
McNabb has been a solid defender in the league for more than a decade. Keeping the puck out of the net, while guarding and hitting opponents, is his primary job. He doubled his assist total this postseason on Tuesday night, after having just three in 15 games over the first three rounds. Theodore cracked, “He’s an offensive guy.”
“My partner did most of the work on all of them, really," McNabb said, crediting Theodore. “But, yeah, the guys made great plays, and it’s nice to chip in offensively when I can.”
Vegas has brought in plenty of talent since its overachieving inaugural season, including captain Mark Stone, top center Jack Eichel and Marner. But there is still a deep reverence for the original Golden Knights, including Reilly Smith, who was traded and reacquired and had been playing until Karlsson returned.
“They mean everything," Howden said. "They’re the ones that built this team from the ground up. They built a culture here, starting from the top down. But those guys were here from the start, and they lead the way. They’re unbelievable leaders in the room.”
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