Vegas Golden Knights vs. Vancouver Canucks series preview
By Elias Laradi
The Vegas Golden Knights and the Vancouver Canucks will meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time.
The Vegas Golden Knights will face the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Game 1 goes Sunday night at 10: 30pm Eastern time. This will be the Knights’ second appearance in the second round after failing to reach it last year and making it all the way to the Stanely Cup final back in 2017.
Vegas booked their spot in the second round after beating the Chicago Blackhawks in 5 games with a 4-3 win in Game 5. They had to come back from a 2-0 deficit but goals from Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone, Alec Martinez, and Alex Tuch sealed the comeback to win the game and the series.
The Golden Knights and the Canucks met twice this past season with a third meeting scheduled that was postponed due to the pause amid the pandemic. Vegas took the first game 6-3 and four days later Vancouver got their revenge beating the Knights 5-4 in overtime.
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Max Pacioretty had 5 points in the two games vs Vancouver while Brock Boeser had 4 including the assist on the game-winning goal in overtime when the Canucks were victorious. The Vancouver Canucks finished fourth in the Pacific while finishing seventh in the conference.
J.T. Miller who was acquired at the NHL Draft last year in Vancouver led the team in points with 72points (27g, 45a) in 69 games played. Quinn Hughes who is currently nominated for the Calder trophy had 53 points ( 8G, 45A) in 68 games played.
In net, Jacob Markstrom will be tasked with stopping a potent Vegas offense that is loaded with scoring talent. Markstrom finished the regular season with a.918 save percentage and a 2.75 GAA in 43 starts with the Canucks.
The Canucks are coming off a four-game series in the play-in round where they beat the Minnesota Wild and then went on to eliminate the current Stanley Cup champions in the St Louis Blues in six games. Elias Pettersson leads the offense with 13 points (4G, 9A).
Vancouver is a speedy team that has a lot of skill and it up to the defenseman on the Golden Knights to stop them and to try to slow them down. There is also an interesting situation in net for the Knights. Robin Lehner played 3 of 4 games vs Chicago while Marc Andre Fleury only played one.
In Vancouver, it’s Jacob Markstrom all the way and his play will be key if the Vancouver Canucks look to upset the number one seed in the west.
Next. Second Round Predictions. dark
Prediction: Vegas has too much skill and depth, they breezed through Chicago in five and will be well-rested with two solid netminders so I’m saying Vegas in 6.