• Ryan S. Clark

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    What we’ve learned about this team so far

    Enough was in place at the close of the regular season to suggest the Golden Knights had depth. The playoffs have shown there are layers to the Golden Knights, and how they operate.

    All of their lines can consistently forecheck, with the notion that all of their combinations have their unique way of creating scoring chances. They have veteran defensive pairings, including one in Alec Martinez and Alex Pietrangelo that has three combined Stanley Cups. But the pairing that has seen the most 5-on-5 minutes is Nicolas Hague and Zach Whitecloud. Then, of course, there is what Hill has accomplished as the latest goaltender who has provided stability in the crease.

    Players who will be key to the series

    A player who might be at the heart of that discussion about the Golden Knights and their layers could be Jack Eichel. He has given them the No. 1 center who, under coach Bruce Cassidy, has emerged as a two-way presence and one of the favorites to win the Conn Smythe. Cassidy has also pulled the best out of other forwards such as Ivan Barbashev, William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone.

    There is also a case for Pietrangelo. He’s playing in key situations, such as the penalty kill and the power play, while averaging more than 24 minutes per game — a near four-minute separation between himself and Martinez, who is second in average ice time.

    Player who needs to step up

    Does one really exist? Look throughout their lineup. They have received contributions that have been noticeable, such as those made by their stars, and ones that may go unappreciated in ways that make players such as Michael Amadio, Keegan Kolesar, Nicolas Roy, Hague and Whitecloud so important to their setup.

    Instead, it’s a particular unit that needs to step up: the penalty kill. The Golden Knights have succeeded in killing penalties only 63.0% of the time, which is why they enter the Cup finals ranked 14th out of the 16 postseason teams. That could turn into a big problem based on another trend: the Golden Knights have taken the second-most penalty minutes during the playoffs.

    Could this Stanley Cup Final change how certain front offices view first-year coaches?

    Think about last year’s narrative around coaching and the Stanley Cup Final. Both Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar and Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper were examples of why it may benefit front offices to be more patient with their bench bosses. Cooper is the longest tenured coach in the NHL while Bednar was third.

    Fast forward to this Cup Final. Cassidy and Maurice have reinforced the expectation that playoff-caliber teams with first-year coaches can win the Stanley Cup. Of course, that does come with context. Cassidy came to Vegas having reached the playoffs in six straight seasons with the Bruins, while reaching the Stanley Cup Final back in 2019. Paul Maurice reached the playoffs in his last four full seasons in addition to having a Stanley Cup Final appearance (2002, with the Hurricanes) as well. Don’t forget what Pete DeBoer did in his first season with the Stars, either. That’s three of four conference finalists who had first-year coaches.

    The Golden Knights faced questions about whether they could contend after their first spring of no playoffs. Some wondered if the Panthers could ever get past the second round. The Stars seemed lost in a Central Division filled with monsters. But by going with a fresh voice — the right fresh voice — all three pushed over the hump this season.