Vegas Golden Knights fourth line ready for the big stage of the Stanley Cup Final. They're expected do the dirty work and pressure defensemen. They also can score goals in critical moments.
The Vegas Golden Knights fourth line knows it can impact a game.
Whether it’s through scoring a greasy goal or just putting pressure on opposing defensemen in their D-zone, the fourth line has grown into critical, steady influence on a deep Vegas team.
“Right from the start of the season, [Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy] made it clear that he wants his fourth line to play against the top players on their team,” said Vegas forward Keegan Kolesar, who played on the fourth line all season. “I think when you do that all season, your pace of play gets up. Your improvements as a player are dramatic as well. You learn how to play in these big situations against the top guys. It just carries all the way until now.”
The fourth line came up big in Game 6 clincher against the Dallas Stars on Monday.
Cassidy went back to starting the fourth line, as he did numerous times during the regular season to set the tone early for how the Golden Knights will attack on its forecheck.
William Carrier, another fourth-line stalwart, scored the first goal and tallied an assist. Kolesar scored the third goal, which all but took the air out of the American Airlines Center.
Nicolas Roy tallied an assist and was effective in his first game back on the fourth line after playing the previous six games on the third line with William Karlsson and Reilly Smith.
“We put them back together. They definitely showed they wanted to be back together,” Cassidy said.
The Carrier-Roy-Kolesar line saw plenty of time together during the regular season. They went plus-3 as a unit in the regular season with Carrier scoring a career-high 16 goals.
Against Florida, Cassidy expects his fourth line to continue doing what it does well.
“They’re going to have to be an important part of the team like they have been all year,” he said. “They’re going to get their opportunity to get in there and forecheck and put pressure on the D.
“They’re physical. They’re big. They get in the way. We’ll need that. Florida can be a belligerent team as well. You might see some a little bit belligerence, for lack of a better in the series. Hopefully, we out belligerence them in the end.”