‘We’re going to expect their best’: Golden Knights eye return to Stanley Cup Final

John Tortorella let his players enjoy Sunday a bit longer than he normally would after a win.

He even had to sit back and appreciate one of the more improbable wins in Vegas Golden Knights playoff history.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever been in one like this,” Tortorella said Sunday. “I’ve been in a few of them. It’s two good teams going at it. I’m proud of our club.”

The sun came up Monday, and it was back to work.

The Knights will try to complete an improbable four-game sweep of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche and advance to the Stanley Cup Final with Game 4 on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena.

One more win will result in the Knights’ third Western Conference championship in their nine-year history. One more win will ensure one-third of the Knights’ existence ends with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final, and for the second time in four years.

“We’re not trying to look at this any differently,” forward Brett Howden said. “We’re not trying to approach the game any differently. We want to keep improving our game, and we’re going into the next game with the same mindset to win a game.”

One for the books

Sunday will go down as one of the more improbable games in franchise history.

The Knights stared at a 3-0 deficit at the end of the first period. Most teams would have packed it up, accepted reality and switched focus to Game 4.

But the Knights, who made a living on comebacks during the regular season, pulled off their biggest comeback in postseason history with five unanswered goals in the final 40 minutes to win 5-3 and take a shocking 3-0 series lead.

“I think the fourth win is always the hardest to get, whether it’s a first round, second round or conference final,” defenseman Shea Theodore said. “We’re going to expect their best. For them, it’s win or go home.”

Theodore added the Knights have to match Colorado’s intensity from the get-go. Getting off to a better start would be ideal.

The Knights not only spotted the Avalanche those three goals, but Colorado played like its season was on the line in Game 3.

Colorado overwhelmed the Knights from the start to the tune of a 16-7 edge in shots through 20 minutes. The Knights had one shot on goal through the first 10 minutes.

Finding a way

If Game 3 was what Colorado looked like with its season on the line, Game 4 should see that intensity multiplied tenfold.

“When you’re down by three, and you just went through a period like that, not in a malicious or cheating way, you cheat on the other side of it,” Tortorella said. “I thought we just kept our composure, and I thought Carter (Hart) made some key saves just to give us a chance to get our legs underneath us.”

Hart allowed as many goals in the first period (three) as he did in the first two games. The goals came on Colorado’s first 12 shots.

Hart, who ranks second in these playoffs with a .923 save percentage, stopped the final 23 shots he faced and finished with 32 saves for his 11th win of the playoffs. The 27-year-old has a .942 save percentage for the series.

“He’s been great for us,” Howden said. “In a lot of games there’s momentum swings, and he’s done an incredible job keeping us in games and turning the momentum back to our side. He gives us a lot of confidence, for sure, and he’s just getting better and better.”

Finishing the job

This is the fourth time the Knights have led a series 3-0. They’ve only completed the sweep one time — their first ever playoff series in 2018 against the Los Angeles Kings.

The Chicago Blackhawks staved off elimination in the 2020 first round in the bubble, and the Dallas Stars won the next two in the 2023 Western Conference Final before the Knights dominated 6-0 in Game 6.

The biggest difference this time is the Knights have a home crowd to their advantage. There’s importance to finishing the job now and not letting the series continue for a fifth game back in Denver.

“We’re going to play another game (Tuesday),” Tortorella said. “We’re playing another game, and we’re going to need to be better. That’s how we’re approaching it.

“That’s how we’re going to do it. I trust them. I think they get that.”

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Up next

Who: Avalanche at Golden Knights

What: Western Conference Final, Game 4 (Knights lead 3-0)

When: 6 p.m. Tuesday

Where: T-Mobile Arena

TV: ESPN

Radio: KFLG 94.7 FM/KKGK 1340 AM

Line: Even; total 6