Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP
Dallas Stars goalie Anton Khudobin (35) watches as Vegas Golden Knights’ Nicolas Roy (10), Paul Stastny (26) and Max Pacioretty (67) celebrate a goal during the second period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Western Conference final, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, in Edmonton, Alberta.
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020 | 2 a.m.
The best-of-seven game Western Conference Final between the Golden Knights and Dallas Stars is now a best-of-five-game series after the teams split the initial two games.
Game 3 is 5 p.m. tonight on NBC Sports Network.
After four games of struggling to score over two playoff series, the Golden Knights returned to form in Game 2 with a three-goal second period and will look to carry that momentum over to the remainder of the series.
Here are three keys to victory, sponsored by Credit One Bank.
Keep the power play going
The Golden Knights scored on the power play last game and would have had another if not for a goaltender interference challenge. That’s one area of the game that has been working lately. In Game 7 against the Canucks, it was a power-play goal that finally got the Golden Knights on the board before a pair of empty-netters put it away. Although Vegas converted on just 1-of-6 power play chances in Game 2, they had 21 shot attempts and 10 scoring chances. That’s a good sign going forward.
Stay disciplined
The good thing about being just 1-for-6 on the power play is that the Golden Knights were on the power play six times. The Stars took careless penalties that sent them to the box. More than 10 minutes of the game’s 60 were spent with a Vegas man-advantage, compared to just four for Dallas. The Golden Knights took two penalties all game and none in the third period, which meant the Stars had fewer opportunities to rally.
Ride the Panda
Robin Lehner has been everything the Golden Knights could have hoped for when they acquired him at the trade deadline. He has now recorded back-to-back shutouts, and has tied a Vegas record with four this postseason. He’s now averaging fewer than two goals allowed per game with a .924 save percentage. Numbers like that over a full season will win you a Vezina Trophy and so far has helped carry the Golden Knights within seven wins of an even more prestigious prize.
