Yesterday, you may have had this strange feeling as you watched Game 7. If so, you weren’t alone. Most of the city was watching the final game of a series the VGK at one point led 3-1. Even though the Knights finally found a way to beat Thatcher Demko and the resilient Vancouver Canucks with their 3-0 win to move on to the Western Conference Finals against Dallas tomorrow, there was drama before the game even started. Who would Coach DeBoer have in the net? His number-one pick, Robin Lehner, lost the last 2 games and the comfortable lead had now come down to one-game do-or-die sudden death.
Three-time Stanley Cup winner Marc-André Fleury has been riding the bench for the better part of the playoffs, starting only 2 of 11 games and winning both. Robin Lehner’s record was 5-4. This 12th game was a back-to-backer and Lehner had a record of 1-11 in the second game of a back-to-back situation. But true to his word, DeBoer stayed with Lehner, who he believes gives the VGK the best chance to win. Of course, this opinion hasn’t been widely accepted here in Las Vegas.
They say hindsight is 20-20 and DeBoer’s unwillingness to cave to outside pressure, including Fleury’s agent’s Twitter picture, which he called “just noise,” now seems like the correct decision. Lehner didn’t face a lot of shots and had to make only 14 saves throughout the game. But one in particular saved not only the game, but the entire series.
The VGK netminder made a highlight-reel save on Brock Boeser, who entered the Vegas zone on a 2-on-1. He took a cross-ice pass that required the not-so-agile Lehner to go from one post to the other to make a glove stop. At the time, the score was 0-0 and the first goal of the game that was now more than halfway over would be critical in determining the winner. Robin somehow found the athleticism to get his big body across and snatch a shot that was destined for the back of the net.
“Well, it was a 2-on-1 and they have a lot of good shooters, so I tried to be aggressive,” Lehner said. “He got it across. I know you say I can’t save backdoor shots, but the big man can move when he wants to.”
Yes, the big man got across more like a jaguar than a big panda and saved the season for the VGK.
The feeling I mentioned being felt across the entire city became an OH NO, NOT AGAIN when Ryan Reaves was assessed a 5-minute major penalty for a check to the head of Tyler Motte, late in the second period of a scoreless game. The Vancouver goaltender, Thatcher Demko, was once again stopping anything and everything Vegas sent his way, appearing unbeatable like he was in Games 5 and 6. Was this going to be a déjà vu? Would the VGK’s 2019-2020 season end just like the 2018-2019 season did, Vancouver filling the net with pucks like San Jose did in last year’s Game 7 after Vegas was assessed a 5-minute major?
No.
Phew.
The VGK penalty-killing unit allowed Vancouver one measly shot during the entire 5-minute penalty.
Thatcher Demko at one point in yesterday’s game had made 98 saves in a row. The last goal he’d given up was in Game 5 to Shea Theodore. And the only goal he would surrender yesterday was once again off the stick of Shea Theodore, whose goal seconds into the power play beat Demko high over his right shoulder.
What should not go unnoticed about Theodore’s winning power-play goal was that it was a delayed penalty, as Vegas still had possession of the puck and did so for almost 45 additional seconds before the whistle was blown when Vancouver got possession of the puck. Thirty to 45 seconds is about an average shift in the NHL, especially in the 2nd game of a back-to-back. The players on the ice during the shift when the penalty was called were pretty much the number-one power-play unit. With over 6 minutes left in the game, most coaches would have put their number-2 power-play unit on for the first part of the PP, resting the number-one unit for the 2nd part of the 2-minute power play.
But the genius of DeBoer was on full display here. He was in a game with a goaltender who’d turned away every VGK shot for the last 2 games, plus the first 2 periods and 14 minutes of the 3rd period of the 3rd game. Coach called a timeout, so he could put the number-one unit back on the ice to start the power play. He knew full well that if he could get one past Demko this late in the game, it might hold up, as Vancouver had generated zero offense in the first 54 minutes. They were still playing rope-a-dope, hoping for the one mistake or odd-man rush. They did get it late, but Lehner stopped it.
Seconds after the penalty, Theodore scored the power-play goal, which would be enough for the win that made DeBoer look like the smartest man in Vegas (or in this case Edmonton).
Tuch and Stastny added empty-net goals to bring the final score to 3-0 and position Vegas just 8 wins away from the Stanley Cup.
My 3 Stars of the Game: Shea Theodore (GWG on the PP; Theodore is making a case for himself if Vegas gets to the Stanley Cup Final as a serious candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy), Thatcher Demko (33 saves in a losing effort that was close only because of his heroics), Coach DeBoer (who stuck to his beliefs and called the crucial timeout with over 6 minutes to go in a scoreless game; most coaches would never consider this move).
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Andrew Lunsford added this comment
PDB learned a lesson from Gallant’s mistake when he called a timeout!
Andrew Lunsford 100% PDB timeout call was brilliant
Joe P