Graney: Carter Hart is reason Golden Knights own early series lead

Carter Hart talked about it after a series-clinching Game 6 win against the Utah Mammoth.

He talked about in those times when things aren’t going well, let them go quickly.

That you’re either learning or losing.

What we learned (and probably already knew) Monday night: Hart is playing some magnificent hockey in goal for the Vegas Golden Knights.

He was their best player in a 3-1 victory against Anaheim before 17,838 at T-Mobile Arena for Game 1 of this best-of-seven playoff series.

Their best player in stopping 33 of 34 shots. Their best player in that Hart has now allowed two goals going back to 12:42 of the third period in Game 5 against Utah.

He has been nails. And they have needed all of it.

Sloppy to begin

“It feels good to get the first win of the series,” Hart said. “They came out hard, and they came out fast. Regardless of whether you face 40 shots or 10, you have to stay in games.

“I felt good. One game at a time, one day at a time. That’s our mentality as a group here. We played a really good game in the second and third periods and boxed a lot of guys out tonight.”

You had a first period controlled by Anaheim, which outshot the Knights 11-6 over the opening 20 minutes. Puck management was an issue for the Knights some in the Utah series and was to begin this one. They were sloppy.

But it’s weird, this hockey. The second period was closer in terms of play, and yet it was the Knights who got on the board with a goal from — yeah, this is a no-brainer — Brett Howden.

His tap-in off a Mitch Marner pass at 3:14 of the second gave Howden his fifth goal of the playoffs and the Knights a 1-0 advantage. You can’t overstate how important Howden has been this postseason.

There are definite similarities between Utah and Anaheim. The Ducks are a little bigger, a little more physical. But each team has young, skilled players on the rush.

You can adjust as an opponent, especially when playing the same team one game after the other. You can learn tendencies.

Things just get tougher and tougher as the playoffs progress.

It just becomes harder and harder to create much.

“Teams have more confidence,” Knights coach John Tortorella said. “We’re playing another young team that has a little experience now after (Anaheim) went through a series with Edmonton. It just all ramps up. That’s what is so great about the playoffs — each series that starts again is more intense and focused.

“The flow of the game, the momentum swings, are more pronounced. It is why the greatest playoffs in sports are the NHL — because of how it all keeps moving to different levels as each round comes your way.”

The Knights were better against Utah’s speed following Game 3 of that first-round series and need to play with the same level of focus defensively as this one progresses.

They did a better job of taking things away against the Mammoth as the series went on. Just understanding when and where you should be and being on the same page.

It will take more of the same now.

They were better for sure against Anaheim’s speed in the third period, more able to get on top of the Ducks and not allow it to become much of an issue.

“They’re just a good hockey team,” Anaheim forward Troy Terry said. “They’re deep, they’re experienced. … We obviously need to manage pucks and have our own structure to our game, but for us it needs to be enough pace.

“I think if it gets more into a slower-paced game and structured, that’s where they’ve gone to a Cup final and won (a) Stanley Cup and all that. We obviously need to manage pucks and have our own structure to our game, but for us it needs to be enough pace. You can feel it.”

Don’t apologize

Feel this: The Knights, who can play much crisper, who weren’t overly happy with their performance, need to be better. The Ducks overall were the better team.

One thing: They didn’t have Carter Hart.

“He was our best player,” Tortorella said. “We struggled to get to our game, We found it at certain pockets, but Carter was outstanding.”

He really was. He’s the reason the Knights are up 1-0.

You never apologize for winning, but you also realize how it occurred.

And the guy in goal is your answer.