Golden Knights advance to Stanley Cup Final with sweep of Avalanche

The Vegas Golden Knights are heading to the Stanley Cup Final after completing a four-game sweep of the Colorado Avalanche with a 2-1 win in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday.

The Knights will play for the Stanley Cup for the third time in their nine-year history and for the second time in four years.

They captured their first championship in 2023 with a five-game victory over the Florida Panthers. The Knights will face the winner of the Montreal Canadiens-Carolina Hurricanes series in the Eastern Conference Final.

Captain Mark Stone scored for the second straight game, and winger Cole Smith added an insurance goal with 5:45 remaining.

Goaltender Carter Hart finished with 18 saves and carried a shutout until 2:03 remaining when Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog scored on a deflection.

Colorado goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made 24 saves in his first start of the series.

The Knights became the seventh team in NHL history to sweep a best-of-seven series against the NHL’s top team during the regular season.

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.