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Pridružen/-a: 05.07. 2018, 10:24
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Welcome to Impossible.
Those words have been projected onto the ice in big Jourdan Lewis Jersey , bold letters at T-Mobile Arena before each game during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Well, the Vegas Golden Knights are turning impossible into possible.
The stunningly successful expansion squad is headed to the Stanley Cup Final after beating the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Sunday to win the Western Conference final series in five games.
”I remember eight months ago, when we won against Dallas (in the season opener), we had that unbelievable feeling,” Vegas center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare said. ”Doesn’t feel like we’re satisfied. It’s a good feeling when you know the guys are excited for the next one.”
The Golden Knights are the third franchise in NHL history to clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural season, joining the Toronto Arenas in 1918 in the league’s early days, and St. Louis Blues in 1968, when all six expansion teams were in the same division and one of them had to make the final round.
Vegas will play either Tampa Bay or Washington on hockey’s biggest stage. The Lightning lead the Eastern Conference final 3-2, but the Capitals host Game 6 on Monday night.
”Either way, we’re not going to be favorites,” said Jonathan Marchessault, who leads Vegas with 18 points in the postseason. ”That’s been the case all year. Tampa has been the best team all year. Washington, (they’re) playing great hockey right now. Either way, we’re not going to be favorites, and that’s fine with us. We went all year like that and we’re going to keep going.”
Hence Eddie Yarbrough Jersey , ”The Golden Misfits” tag.
Nobody could have scripted Vegas, a 500-1 long shot at the start of the season, making the playoffs – let alone earning a shot at Lord Stanley’s Cup.
But the Golden Knights, who finished fifth in the league during the regular season, just knocked off the No. 2 team in the regular season in Winnipeg, which in the conference semifinals knocked off the No. 1 team in the regular season, Nashville.
Vegas clinched all three of its Western Conference series on the road, becoming the seventh team in NHL history to accomplish such a feat.
”Everybody on this team has something to prove,” said Winnipeg native Ryan Reaves, who scored the winning goal Sunday in his hometown. ”We call ourselves `The Golden Misfits’ for a reason. We’re doing a good job of proving everybody wrong.”
Just as they have all season, they are living in the moment.
Vegas, which had just two players under contract at this time last year, heads into the final round with a 12-3 playoff record after outscoring its Western Conference opponents 42-27.
It’s a credit to coach Gerard Gallant’s philosophy of having a well-conditioned, confident group of forwards who work well together, focus on short effective shifts Josh Shaw Jersey , and exude confidence on the ice – all while, as he reiterates it daily, playing 200 feet of hockey.
And while the Golden Knights haven’t necessarily been a high-scoring threat, scoring just three or fewer goals in 12 of their 15 playoff games, their defensemen have played exceptional to this point. Vegas has allowed the least amount of goals in the playoffs, among teams that have played 10 games. It was a stifling and disruptive defense that helped propel the Golden Knights past the Jets on Sunday, with their sixth win in eight road games during the postseason.
”Everybody’s stepping up at different times during the season,” said goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who has 12 wins, four shutouts, a .947 save percentage and 1.68 goals against average. ”That’s a big reason why we’ve been playing consistently.”
The key cog in Vegas’ engine has been Fleury, whose remarkable play has translated into a career-best postseason. He has allowed two or fewer goals in 10 of 15 playoff games, and is heading to the Stanley Cup final for a third consecutive year. And whether he admits it or not, the 14-year veteran still bears the scars of being left exposed by Pittsburgh last summer after spending the first 13 years of his career with the Penguins.
Gallant, who remained coy about his team’s aspirations during the regular season Emmanuel Sanders Jersey , made it clear the Golden Knights haven’t reached their goal.
”It’s been an awesome ride so far,” said Gallant, who some might also consider a ”misfit” after Florida fired him following a road game at Carolina last season, then left him and his luggage on the curb outside PNC Arena. ”We’re going to the Stanley Cup Final, but again, this isn’t what we want. We want to win.
”It’s great to win tonight and it’s great to be the (conference) champions,” Gallant added, ”but that’s not what we’re here for.”
Even as impossible as that all seemed just a few months ago.
—
More NHL hockey: Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Dan Quinn, who have led the team to the playoffs the last two seasons, have signed three-year contract extensions.
The deals were announced Wednesday, a day before players report for training camp. Financial terms were not disclosed for the contracts, which will run through the 2022 season.
The new deals for Dimitroff and Quinn will leave the focus for the start of training camp on wide receiver Julio Jones, who is entering the third year of his five-year, $71.5 million contract. Jones has asked to have his deal renegotiated, but the team has said it won't offer Jones a more lucrative deal this year.
Jones is not expected to report on Thursday for Friday's opening day of camp. He would be Atlanta's first training camp holdout since 2009 Ryan Grant Jersey , when receiver Roddy White's weeklong absence ended with a new $50 million deal.
Dimitroff, hired in 2008, is entering his 11th season. Quinn is 32-21 in his first three seasons.
Owner Arthur Blank said the leadership team of Dimitroff and Quinn "has proven to be as successful as we envisioned back in 2015."
"I believe continuity in leadership is vital to achieving the highest levels of success in any organization and, with these extensions, we ensure these two leaders will be at the helm of our franchise for years to come," Blank said in a statement released by the team. "Their shared vision and long view plan has already delivered on a variety of levels and has positioned our team for success into the future."
The Falcons lost to New England in the Super Bowl following the 2016 regular season before losing to Philadelphia in the divisional round last season.
Dimitroff faces a new challenge with Jones after already reaching an agreement this offseason with quarterback Matt Ryan on a five-year contract extension that could be worth as much as $150 million.
With Ryan and Jones, the Falcons are expected to contend for a third straight playoff appearance.
"I am appreciative of the support and confidence that Arthur continues to show us as we strive to bring a championship to this city and our fans," Dimitroff said in the statement. "I am excited about where our team is currently as well as the outlook we have for the foreseeable future."
Jones, 29, caught 88 passes last season for 1,444 yards and three touchdowns. He earned his fifth Pro Bowl selection.
A holdout by Jones could threaten the team-first atmosphere stressed by Quinn as a key to his shared leadership with Dimitroff.
"The partnership we have formed over the last four years has continued to get stronger and our view for how we structure this team has become even more clear," Quinn said. "We are looking forward to the challenge in front of us, but I could not be more excited about continuing this journey with Thomas and the brotherhood."
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