LAS VEGAS — To say that Jonathan Marchessault and his Golden Knights teammates are in full control of the final between them and the Panthers is clearly insufficient to describe the dominance of the Western champions at the expense of the Eastern champions.
Because Marchessault and the Knights are better than their rivals on all fronts. In fact, they’re not just better, they’re significantly better.
Better on offense; better defensively; better in front of goal; better at special teams; best in skate speed, quality of execution, disciplines.
They are better everywhere!
Even in the social media war as Knights twitter account officials knocked their rivals to the mat in the third period by posting the tweet: “From Florida Panthers, Golden Knights select Jonathan Marchessault.”
A tweet recalling that the Panthers offered Marchessault to the Knights in the 2017 expansion draft. Pysyk or Alex Petrovic whom they were able to protect.
This uppercut on Twitter was struck just after the Quebecer had scored his second goal of the game. His twelfth in the series. One goal less than Leon Draisaitl who still occupies, or for the moment, the first rank since the start of the playoffs.
A twelfth goal in 12 games.
One of only five players – the others are Joe Sakic (Colorado in 2001), Rod Brind’Amour (with Philadelphia in 1997), Raymond Bourque (Boston in 1990) and Adam Graves (Edmonton 1990) – to score the first scoring in the first two games of a Stanley Cup Final, Marchessault is riding a seven-game point streak.
Seven games in which he scored seven goals and collected 11 points.
If he maintains his pace, Marchessault will receive the Conn Smythe Trophy from commissioner Gary Bettman before having the privilege of lifting the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career.
Good! There are still two wins to add before Marchessault and the Knights can realize their dream.
But if they maintain the dominance displayed in the first two games, if they respond to the Panthers’ underhanded blows by scoring power-play goals and not by falling into their trap, it’s hard to believe that Florida will be able to curb the victorious momentum of the Knights.
Nine different markers
“I firmly believe that we are the best team in the NHL. We may not have the biggest stars in the League, but when you look at the four lines that we send to the rink, our defensive brigade as a whole, our efficiency in mass attack and short of a man , I am convinced that we are at the top of the list. Maybe we had a disadvantage in front of goal in the eyes of many, but our guy (Adin Hill) is proving to everyone that he is an excellent goalkeeper”, which Bruce Cassidy paraded after the second victory consecutive of his team.
The overall quality of the Golden Knights jumps out at you when you watch them take to the rink.
It is also reflected on the score sheet as nine different players, including three defensemen, scored one or the other of the 12 goals scored by the Knights during the first two games of the final.
An NHL record for offensive dispersion after two games.
Fifteen different players have collected at least one point after two games. He’s one fewer player than in five games played in the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals against the Washington Capitals.
Last Friday, during media day, Jonathan Marchessault assured that the lack of depth of the Knights had contributed to the loss against the Caps five years ago. He trumpeted that the depth shown this year would help his team go all the way.
This depth is in the process of proving Quebecers right.
When discipline rhymes with leadership
The discipline displayed by the Knights is just as impressive as the quality of the game offered by the team, by the quality of the saves made by Adin Hill.
The Knights goaltender not only eclipsed Sergei Bobrovsky in a second straight game with 29 saves on 31 shots, but he also defended himself against attacks from his opponents.
“I’ve never had as much fun playing hockey as I do now,” said the Knights goaltender.
“Adin makes big saves at important times. His save on a breakaway in the first period allowed us to keep control of the game. When a goalkeeper makes saves like this, it helps to redeem and cover up some mistakes made in front of him, “said Bruce Cassidy of his goalkeeper who was not bothered by the attacks of the Panthers.
In front of him, his teammates displayed more impressive restraint when it would have been easy to respond to all the Panthers’ attacks.
Especially since the Knights are far from being a “small” club. On the contrary, they are big, strong and able to defend themselves. But they control their enthusiasm. What the Panthers do not, but then there not at all.
“Sometimes it tempts us to reply, candidly admitted Nicolas Roy with a small smile on his face. But we have to hold back. We must think of the ultimate goal which is bigger than our egos. Brayden McNabb was cross-checked in the face. He could have replied especially that he is a guy who is very capable of taking care of himself. But he held back.”
Roy and his teammates were also left unmoved when Matthew Tkachuk, in the third period with the outcome long sealed, fired a plastic rat thrown onto the ice by cheering spectators at T-Mobile Arena in the direction of from their bench.
“We know he will do anything to disturb us. We don’t fall into this trap,” said Roy, who scored his team’s fourth goal in the second period. The goal that chased Sergei Bobrovsky out of the game.
This goal was the first of the final for the Quebecer who has scored two since the start of the playoffs. “It’s special to score in the final. It’s a childhood dream,” added Roy, who again did a lot of work with his fourth line teammates, William Carrier and Keegan Kolesar.
It’s easy to talk about discipline. To tell his players to turn their backs on opponents when there is mayhem after whistles and they are punched in the face or hit with a stick.
But it’s another thing to get the kind of discipline that Bruce Cassidy has been getting since the start of the Finals.
“As a coach, you pass on your messages. My assistants recall these messages too. But the application of discipline comes mainly from the locker room. It comes from guys like Alex Pietrangelo and Alec Martinez who won the cup. Who know what it takes to win. Who know how much you have to accept to make sacrifices, to take blows to get to the end. This contribution from veterans is essential to obtain discipline,” explained Cassidy.
The Knights head coach then insisted on the importance of maximizing the positive effects of the discipline displayed by his players.
“We know who we are dealing with. They were among the most punished in the league in the season and still are in the playoffs. And it’s not as if the penalties they take are in a goal to save situation. It is therefore important to take advantage of it and score. Because they could draw a source of motivation by running out the penalties without allowing a goal, “analyzed Cassidy.
After two games, the Knights were able to take advantage of the Panthers’ indiscipline with four goals scored on 11 power plays.
Conversely, they shut out the Panthers seven times in a row.
Another example that lends weight to the fact that the Knights have been better than the Panthers on all fronts since the start of the Finals.
And since the Panthers could not count on the miracles of their goalkeeper to save them, they were condemned to watch their rivals take a 2-0 lead in this final. If they don’t change the way they play, or if Bobrovsky runs out of miracles – the 10-day break may have dispelled the cloud he’s been floating on for a month – they’ll watch the Knights win the next two and lift the cup before their eyes.
