The Golden Knights have already seen the warning signs in this series. Utah’s speed showed up in Game 2, and so did its ability to turn Vegas mistakes into momentum.
Now the series shifts to Salt Lake City tied 1-1, with the Mammoth set to host their first playoff game Friday night. That matters. However, Vegas has been around this kind of noise before.
Reilly Smith and Brayden McNabb both lived through the Golden Knights’ first playoff run in 2018. They know what a first home playoff game can do for a building, and they expect Utah’s crowd to bring the same kind of jump.
“It seems like they have a fan base that mimics what we had,” Smith said Thursday at City National Arena. “For us, we recognize that they’re a team that’s trying to prove a lot. So, we have to control what we can control.”
Time And Space
The biggest issue is not the building. It is the middle of the ice.
Utah pushed through the neutral zone too easily in Game 2. The Mammoth used their speed, stretched Vegas out and forced the Golden Knights into too many recovery shifts.
Smith did not dress it up.
“I don’t think we controlled the pace of the game,” Smith said. “I don’t think we checked as well as we needed to, and they’re a team that can make you pay when you give them time and space.”
McNabb saw the same problem. He pointed to gaps, back pressure and neutral-zone coverage as areas Vegas must clean up before Game 3.
“They had time, especially through the neutral zone,” McNabb said. “So got to make some adjustments, but we know what we got to do.”
Stone Still Driving
Vegas does not need to search hard for what has worked. Mark Stone has scored twice in the series, both on the power play.
Ivan Barbashev also has two goals, while Colton Sissons, Noah Hanifin, Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner each have two points. That is a healthy spread through two games, but Vegas still needs more five-on-five control.
The Golden Knights and Mammoth have each scored five goals in the series. However, Utah’s best players have started to tilt shifts with speed. Logan Cooley has two goals, while Dylan Guenther has a goal and an assist.
John Tortorella said Utah’s speed is “a concern,” but he also said Vegas can fix it.
“They will get chances. They’re that good of a team,” Tortorella said Thursday. “We will get chances. It’s just how you manage the games.”
Hart Keeps Them Level
Carter Hart has given Vegas a chance through both games. Hart has stopped 58 of 62 shots, good for a .935 save percentage and a 2.56 goals-against average.
On the other end, Karel Vejmelka has posted a .902 save percentage and a 2.54 goals-against average. So far, the margins have been thin. That makes the swings matter more.
Tortorella said playoff hockey often comes down to how teams handle those stretches. When momentum is gone, teams have to survive it. When momentum returns, they have to cash in.
Vegas did that in Game 1. Utah did it better in Game 2. Now the Golden Knights have to answer before the series gets away from the pace they prefer.
Up next
The Golden Knights visit the Utah Mammoth for Game 3 on Friday night at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. Pacific, with the series tied 1-1.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
