RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) 鈥� 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 , and the thrill is still there.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the same feeling as Year 1,鈥� Karlsson said.
That one ended in defeat, but it set the perennial expectations at championship or bust, and 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 on Tuesday night. The Golden Knights leaned on their longest-tenured players to erase another multigoal deficit and will keep relying on them.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e calm,鈥� said , who has only been in charge since late March. 鈥淭he 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鈥檛 say much, they just play, and I think other people follow behind them. I think that鈥檚 so important this time of year.鈥�
William Karlsson returning has changed everything
One reason the Golden Knights did not look this dominant during the regular season was because of an . He was out from early November until
“I learned not to take anything for granted,” Karlsson said. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 always just a straight line. Some minor setbacks. But I always have the mind to come back for playoffs, and I鈥檓 very happy to be able to be a part of it.鈥�
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.
鈥淚t鈥檚 super fun to play hockey, and I鈥檓 happy to be getting a lot of minutes and help the team,鈥� Karlsson said.
Shea Theodore has stepped up when needed
The Golden Knights went into the season with a giant void on their blue line, with No. 1 defenseman Alex Pietrangelo 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.
鈥淪hea鈥檚 game this season has just added a completely different layer than what we were used to because he鈥檚 always been a great puck-mover, always been a very good offensive defenseman,鈥� general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. 鈥淪hea has become a penalty killer. He never killed penalties prior at all. He鈥檚 on the ice when it鈥檚 6 on 5 against, where in the past he would not have been. And I鈥檓 really proud of him, to be honest with you. I think he鈥檚 really grown into it.鈥�
Tortorella praised Theodore for bouncing back in Game 1 after getting “spanked鈥� on Carolina’s opening goal 25 seconds in.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 bother him, and he probably plays one of the better games,鈥� Tortorella said. 鈥淗e just played. I think it鈥檚 a really good lesson for all of us to see.鈥�
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鈥檛 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.鈥�
Brayden McNabb flashes unusual offensive touch
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, 鈥淗e鈥檚 an offensive guy.鈥�
鈥淢y partner did most of the work on all of them, really,” McNabb said, crediting Theodore. 鈥淏ut, yeah, the guys made great plays, and it鈥檚 nice to chip in offensively when I can.鈥�
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.
鈥淭hey mean everything,” Howden said. “They鈥檙e 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鈥檙e unbelievable leaders in the room.鈥�
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