Golden Knights, on verge of 2nd round, see similar path from last year

If you woke up Thursday with the feeling that the Vegas Golden Knights are experiencing deja vu, you’re not the only one.

The Knights will have their first of two opportunities to close out the Utah Mammoth in Game 6 at Delta Center on Friday, with a trip to the second round on the line.

“Great momentum,” defenseman Brayden McNabb said Wednesday. “It’s a great win. Now we’ve got a job to do in Utah.”

It’s the same situation as last year, where the Knights took a 3-2 series lead on the road to St. Paul, Minnesota, and closed out the Wild in six games.

Then you start breaking down this series game to game compared with that one. It’s eerie.

Game 1: Knights win 4-2.

Game 2: Knights lose in regulation.

Game 3: Knights lose by multiple goals on the road.

Game 4: Knights win in overtime.

Game 5: Knights win in overtime.

If we really want to get weird, Brett Howden scored the game-winner in Wednesday’s 5-4 double overtime thriller.

One year ago to the day, Howden scored the overtime winner against Minnesota.

Because hockey is weird, you would think the Knights are in a good spot to close out the Mammoth. And you would be right.

The Knights are 6-0 in a series when leading 3-2 and the best-of-seven starts at home. They’re 7-1 overall.

They’re 6-4 all-time in Game 6 situations, including a 4-3 mark on the road.

“I like our group. We’re still confident,” Mammoth captain Clayton Keller said. “It sucks to lose that one, but we get to go home, play in front of our fans and win a game at home.”

This series has been about experience — the championship level of the Knights, and the lack of playoff reps for the young Utah club.

It’s shown the last two games with Utah minutes away both times from winning the game.

Utah coach Andre Tourigny was proud of his team for how they played. He felt the Mammoth progressed as the game went on, to the point of taking a 4-3 lead with seven minutes remaining.

But it’s the second game in a row Utah squandered a lead in the third period and failed to get the job done in overtime.

“We knew they’d have to come through Salt Lake,” Tourigny said. “We have some adjustments we made to give us a little more rhythm. There’s more things we need to clean up, but I thought we played a good game.”

But the Knights kept finding a way. Both times they got tying goals in the third period — Game 4 from Howden, Game 5 courtesy of Pavel Dorofeyev.

They wore down the Mammoth in overtime each time. The Knights played a simple game and relied on their forecheck to limit Utah’s speed as the game went on.

Even in the waning moments of double overtime, where Utah’s power play looked gassed before Howden won it at 5:28 of the fifth period.

“We’re a really good hockey team,” coach John Tortorella said. “You look at these athletes: They’re strong, they’re athletic, they’re at the top of their game. But they have some confidence problems sometimes. You never think they would, but they do.

“I think they’ve regained their confidence. I think they know how good they can be. You can tell they never feel they’re out of a game. For me to sit back and watch, it’s a good locker room.”

Up next

Who: Golden Knights at Mammoth

What: Game 6, first round (Knights lead 3-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City

TV: KMCC-34, ESPN

Radio: KFLG 94.7 FM/KKGK 1340 AM

Line: Knights -120; total 5½

Series schedule

Best-of-7; x-if necessary

Golden Knights 3, Utah 2

Game 1: Golden Knights 4, Utah 2

Game 2: Utah 3, Golden Knights 2

Game 3: Utah 4, Golden Knights 2

Game 4: Golden Knights 5, Utah 4, OT

Game 5: Golden Knights 5, Utah 4, 2OT

Friday: at Utah, 7 p.m.

x-Sunday: at Golden Knights, TBD