Golden Knights turn in another clutch performance, one win away from conference finals

By Jesse Granger

Friday, May 4, 2018 | 11:30 p.m.

The bigger the moment is, the better the Golden Knights seem to play.

It’s been that way consistently through their inaugural season, and continued Friday night as they beat the Sharks 5-3 to push them to the brink of elimination and move within one game of the Western Conference Finals.

Vegas raced out to a 4-0 lead before holding off a late comeback. Throughout the first 50 minutes of the game, the Golden Knights were dominant in the biggest moment of their brief franchise history.

Starting with their first game on Oct. 6 in Dallas, you can argue Vegas has won every pivotal game in its path.

The Golden Knights steamrolled the Coyotes 5-2 in the emotional home opener on Oct. 10 and blasted Winnipeg 5-2 on Nov. 10 to stop the bleeding following a rough road trip and the loss of their top three goaltenders.

They edged the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in Marc-Andre Fleury’s sentimental first game against his former team on Dec. 14 then took down the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning five days later.

Vegas swept the eventual Presidents Trophy-winning Nashville Predators and ended any thought of the Sharks catching them for the Pacific Division title with an emphatic victory on March 31 to close out the regular season home schedule.

Many doubted the Golden Knights’ playing style would translate to the postseason, especially against an experienced, veteran team in the Los Angeles Kings, but they promptly swept them in four games.

Friday’s Game 5 was yet another echelon of pressure for the young franchise, and they handled it with ease.

“Honestly, I think we’re just really confident in each other,” forward Alex Tuch said. “We push each other to be our best and tonight we needed everyone’s best.”

The rookie scored two goals for the Golden Knights — his third and fourth of the playoffs — to assist them to a 4-0 lead early in the third period.

Vegas was fresh off its worst performance of the postseason: A 4-0 shutout loss in Game 4 where the Sharks dominated and appeared to be gaining control of the best-of-seven series.

“(The Sharks) played a great game last game, and we wanted to show them that we can do it, too,” said forward David Perron, who had two assists Friday night. “I think we turn the page pretty well. We’ve done that all year no matter what happens.”

Not only was Wednesday night’s 4-0 loss the first time Vegas had been shut out in the postseason, it was its first loss in regulation.

“We all take it really personally when we lose a game,” Tuch said. “Honestly, I think we’re just really confident in each other. We push each other to be our best and tonight we needed everyone’s best.”

A loss tonight would have been catastrophic for the Golden Knights, as the Sharks would have taken a two-game winning streak back to San Jose with a chance to close out the series at home.

But like they have all year, the Golden Knights rose to the occasion.

“I just think we want to win,” James Neal said. “We worked all year for home ice advantage and it pays off. That’s why you work all year, to have this advantage. To come back home and feel comfortable and we used it.”

Neal scored the opening goal of the game with only three seconds left in the first period. Vegas outshot San Jose 15-7 in the opening frame but looked like it would enter the locker room empty-handed before Neal put a rebound past Sharks goalie Martin Jones.

Neal has experienced deep playoff runs, making it to the Stanley Cup Final last year with the Nashville Predators.

“I think you learn from different things that go on throughout a series like highs and lows,” he said. “You learn about your mindset going into games and the momentum shifts from game to game. You learn a lot about yourself, a lot about your team and we are learning as we go. We keep getting better and I like that.”

Game 6 at 4:30 p.m. Sunday in San Jose is an opportunity to end the Sharks’ season.

“We have to know what we’re going up against,” Neal said. “Their backs are against the wall, so they’re going to be do or die. When a team is like that, they’re going to play their best hockey, so we have to recognize that and play our best. It’s the toughest game.”

The Golden Knights have given no reason to believe they won’t be up for it.

“It’s a confident group,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “We’re not a cocky group or an overconfident group. We just come to work, do the best we can and hopefully that’s good enough to win.”

Jesse Granger can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Jesse on Twitter at twitter.com/JesseGranger_.