LAS VEGAS (AP) 鈥� The Vegas Golden Knights鈥� improbable run through the Stanley Cup Final came to a crashing halt Sunday night with a in Game 6.
Vegas, which has been to the Cup final three times in its nine-year existence, had never been shutout in a Stanley Cup Final game.
In all three trips to the final, the champion celebrated on the Golden Knights’ home ice.
In Vegas’ first year, it was Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals celebrating after winning in five games. In 2023, the Knights won the Cup in just their sixth year, beating the Florida Panthers in five games.
Sunday, it was the Hurricanes who stormed into T-Mobile Arena and dominated behind the stellar play of goalie Brandon Bussi.
As the Hurricanes raced from the bench to celebrate, and later skated around the ice with the Cup, several thousand Carolina fans in attendance cheered them on.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a good feeling right now, this is tough to be on the side of it,鈥� Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb said. 鈥淏ut on the other side, luckily, these chances don鈥檛 come around very often. So, it stings. You guys have no idea what some of these guys went through, and just the fact that they鈥檙e out there, it鈥檚 pretty special to be a part of.鈥�
For Vegas, it was the end of a magical ride that began on March 30, when John Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy as coach, with hopes of sparking life into one of the league鈥檚 most talented lineups, but one that had lost its spark.
Though Cassidy just led Vegas to the title three years earlier, general manager Kelly McCrimmon felt a new bench boss was needed to spark the Knights鈥� confidence.
It worked, immediately.
Vegas went from third place in the Pacific Division and in jeopardy of missing the playoffs altogether with the trajectory it was on, to finishing the season 7-0-1 and winning the division.
鈥淗e was awesome coming in,鈥� Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore said. 鈥淚 felt like he really brought a change going into the postseason. … He鈥檚 been great.鈥�
After falling behind 2-1 to the Utah Mammoth in the opening round, the Knights went on an 11-2 run through the playoffs, including a sweep of the Presidents鈥� Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
The Knights opened the Cup final with a 2-1 series lead, but Hurricanes coach Rod Brind鈥橝mour switched goaltenders 鈥� from Frederik Andersen to Brandon Bussi 鈥� and it proved to be the difference.
Meanwhile, Tortorella stood firm on his goalie choice, Carter Hart, in favor of Adin Hill, the starting goaltender when Vegas won the Cup three years earlier.
Hart became the first goalie in NHL history to allow at least four goals in the first five games of a Stanley Cup Final, and saw his save percentage go from .922 through the first three rounds to .826 against the Hurricanes.
As the Golden Knights head into the offseason, the first order of business for McCrimmon will be to determine whether or not to retain Tortorella for a long-term contract or move on to what would be the team鈥檚 fifth coach in 10 seasons.
鈥淚 like the team,鈥� Tortorella said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good group of guys. Driven. As I said, the experience, they鈥檙e good pros. it鈥檚 a really good team.鈥�
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