5 reasons why the Golden Knights advanced to the 2nd round

The Vegas Golden Knights have done this enough times. The Utah Mammoth went through a much-needed learning experience.

That’s why the Knights are heading to the second round after dispatching Utah in six games in an entertaining series.

It took a rally, trailing 2-1 in the series, and three straight wins for the Knights to set up a second-round matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.

“We’ve been here before,” captain Mark Stone said. “We don’t have the panic maybe some teams do. We can calm ourselves pretty quickly.”

Here are five reasons why the Knights are advancing:

1. Top guys came through

Utah’s stars made an impact at the start of the series.

Center Logan Cooley was a bull in a China shop. Winger Dylan Guenther has a shot that’s as lethal as advertised.

The Knights’ top players took a bit to get going. It turned the tide of the series once they did.

It started in Game 4 with Jack Eichel’s three assists, including the primary helper to set up Shea Theodore’s winner in overtime. Eichel finished with six assists the last three games. He had nine points in the series.

Game 5 saw Mitch Marner have the primary assist on Brett Howden’s short-handed double-overtime winner. Marner followed that with two goals and an assist in the clincher Friday.

Stone had two power-play goals, but his defense and playmaking made Marner’s line with him and Howden formidable.

Don’t forget Pavel Dorofeyev breaking out of his slump and scoring a critical hat trick to force overtime in Game 5.

Cooley finished with three points in the six games. Guenther had three goals and five points.

“I think it helps having a veteran group,” Marner said. “I think it helps that his group has been through some adversity in the past years. It doesn’t really slow them down or back them off. Just try to go out there with the same confidence.”

2. Big-game Brett

The Knights don’t reel off three straight wins without their Swiss-army knife.

Howden scored four goals in the final three games. Each one was bigger than the next.

His two goals in Game 4 stole the momentum back from Utah — short-handed to make it 2-0, then the game-tying goal in the third after the Mammoth scored four unanswered.

The game-winner in Game 5 might go down as the most important goal of his career if the Knights turn this into a lengthy playoff run. Howden followed that with the opening goal of Game 6 after what some called a “sloppy” first period.

“I’ve enjoyed playing with Brett for the last little bit here,” Marner said. “I think we’re growing chemistry as it goes on. It’s been great just to see him just explode with confidence and making plays.”

3. Penalty kill to the rescue

It’s a good sign when your penalty kill can outscore the opposition’s power play.

The Knights, led by Howden’s two short-handed scores, went 15-for-16 against a dangerous Utah power play. The only goal came in Game 3.

They killed Utah’s final 11 power plays.

“That’s a very talented group out there that can shoot the puck and make plays,” coach John Tortorella said. “They gained momentum off it. The penalty kill was key.”

That’s a promising sign heading into the next round. The Ducks went 8-of-16 on the power play in six games against the Edmonton Oilers.

Yes, that’s 50 percent. And that’s very good.

4. Hart comes up big

This series was also going to come down to which goaltender would make the timely saves between Carter Hart and Utah’s workhorse, Karel Vejmelka.

Outside of a rough Game 3 allowing four goals on 12 shots, Hart made timely saves throughout.

“You prepare the same way like every other game,” Hart said. “Just finding consistency in your approach every single day. For myself and for our group, it’s one day at a time.”

The numbers may tell a different story. Hart finished with an .892 save percentage and 2.74 goals-against, even after stopping 22 of 23 shots in Game 6.

MoneyPuck has Hart at minus-1.6 goals saved above expected in the playoffs, seventh-worst among netminders.

Tortorella, channeling his inner Han Solo, doesn’t care for the odds, or numbers in this case.

“I think Carter has the ability to put things away and move by, whether it be good or bad,” Tortorella said. “You’re kind of on an island out there. In a team sport, it’s the most important position in the game. I just think he has a good mental toughness about it.”

5. Fourth line steps up

This one might be misleading if you ask Tortorella about it.

“I’m not going to call it a fourth line anymore,” he said.

High praise for a line that combined for six goals.

Nic Dowd, Cole Smith and Colton Sissons were the Knights’ most consistent line. The Knights outscored the Mammoth 3-1 when they were on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick.

“We played some good hockey,” Sissons said. “We were pretty darn effective and making it hard on them and getting to our forecheck.”

Sissons’ goal in Game 6 restored the Knights’ two-goal lead in the third period. It was made possible because Dowd won two offensive-zone faceoffs less than two minutes after Utah cut the lead to one.

“We don’t get that luck if (Dowd) doesn’t do his job two times over there,” Sissons said. “Everybody’s got to pull their weight to be able to score some goals that way, and I was proud of them for that.”