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Vegas Runs Into Nobody — Golden Knights Sweep the Avalanche and Crash the Cup Final
Call it the upset of the playoffs, except Vegas made it look routine. The Golden Knights smothered the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday to complete a four-game sweep of the Western Conference Final — ending the season of the Presidents’ Trophy winners, who’d blitzed the bracket at 8-1 before running into Vegas. A Mark Stone goal, 20 saves from Carter Hart, and a defensive vise did the rest.
Stone Strikes First, Then the Clamps Come Down
Stone opened the scoring at 4:42 of the first, running onto a long lob from Brayden McNabb and finishing alone on the breakaway. After that it was a clinic. Colorado — the NHL’s highest-scoring team in the regular season — went more than 22 minutes of game time with a single shot on goal. The league’s most feared offense didn’t just get beaten; it got silenced.
Smith’s Insurance, Hart’s Wall
Cole Smith deflected home a point shot in the third to make it 2-0 — the goal that proved to be the winner. Gabriel Landeskog finally solved Hart with the net empty in the final minutes, but it came far too late. Hart finished 20-of-21, within a few minutes of a shutout, the steady hand behind a six-game winning streak. Vegas outscored Colorado 14-7 across the sweep.
Key Performers
| Player | G | A | PTS | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Stone (VGK) | 1 | 0 | 1 | First star |
| Cole Smith (VGK) | 1 | 0 | 1 | Game-winner |
| Gabriel Landeskog (COL) | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
In goal: Carter Hart stopped 20 of 21.
What It Means
This is a stunning turn for a team that was reeling in late March. Vegas fired Bruce Cassidy, handed the room to John Tortorella, and caught fire — Torts went 7-1 down the stretch and has now dragged the Golden Knights back to the Cup Final for the third time in their nine-year existence. It’s his first Final in 22 years, since he won it all with Tampa Bay in 2004. The matchup is set: Vegas visits Carolina for Game 1 on Tuesday, June 2 (8 p.m. ET). Two elite defenses, two scorching goaltenders — bring a helmet, this one’s going to be a grind.
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