• Powered by Roundtable
    Mike Stephens
    Mike Stephens
    May 30, 2023, 03:16

    The Vegas Golden Knights have eliminated the Dallas Stars in six games to book their ticket to the Stanley Cup final.

    The Vegas Golden Knights have eliminated the Dallas Stars in six games to book their ticket to the Stanley Cup final.

    Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports - Golden Knights Extinguish Stars, Advance to Stanley Cup Final

    The Stanley Cup final is heading back to Las Vegas. 

    The Vegas Golden Knights continued their remarkable run of success on Monday night, defeating the Dallas Stars by a blowout score of 6-0 in Game 6 to win the series and advance to the Stanley Cup final. 

    This is the second time in Vegas' six-year existence as a franchise that they have ended up as one of the final two teams remaining, with their first trip to the dance in their inaugural season ultimately ending in defeat at the hands of the Washington Capitals. 

    It's hard to imagine the Golden Knights being in the position they are in without the emergence of Adin Hill. The 26-year-old came out of nowhere to put on a show for the ages during these playoffs, taking over for Laurent Brossoit and proceeding to post a ridiculous .937 save percentage and 10.4 goals-saved-above-average in 11 appearances, according to naturalstattrick.com. If Hill doesn't step up, one can only where the Golden Knights would be right now. 

    But no victory is won by one player alone. The Knights were carried by their phenomenal depth in the Western Conference final, with their stars like Jack Eichel, Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone providing their expected offensive punch. Middle-lineup staples, such as Michael Amadio, Ivan Barbashev, and Chandler Stephenson, also chipped in to overwhelm the Stars up front all series long. Buoyed by a back end led by Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore as well, the Knights' roster simply became too much for the Stars to bear when it mattered most. 

    Now, Vegas will enter the Cup final with home-ice advantage as they prepare to take on a Florida Panthers team that is currently crafting one of the most improbable underdog stories the sport has ever seen. The action begins on Saturday, June 3.

    Regardless of who comes out on top, this is sure to become compelling hockey.