Golden Knights' improbable run comes to crashing halt with shutout loss on home ice

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights’ improbable run through the Stanley Cup Final came to a crashing halt Sunday night with a 3-0 loss to Carolina 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.

“It’s not a good feeling right now, this is tough to be on the side of it,” Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “But on the other side, luckily, these chances don’t 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’re out there, it’s pretty special to be a part of.”

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’s 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’ 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.

“He was awesome coming in,” Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore said. “I felt like he really brought a change going into the postseason. ... He’s been great.”

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’ 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’Amour switched goaltenders — from Frederik Andersen to Brandon Bussi — 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’s fifth coach in 10 seasons.

“I like the team,” Tortorella said. “It’s a good group of guys. Driven. As I said, the experience, they’re good pros. it’s a really good team.”

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