The Vegas Golden Knights are the Stanley Cup champions
The GIST: One day after the Denver Nuggets won their first-ever NBA title, the Vegas Golden Knights joined the ’ship party last night, becoming Stanley Cup champions in just their sixth season, the fastest an expansion team has ever done it. Let’s flamin-go.
How it happened: Vegas captain Mark Stone got the ball rolling with a first period top-shelf beauty, the first of his eventual hat trick, and the Knights never looked back, pouring on four (!!!) goals in the second period and three more in the third en route to the blowout 9–3 Game 5 win over the Florida Panthers.
- It was truly a full-circle moment for Conn Smythe (Finals MVP) winner Jonathan Marchessault, who the Knights originally selected from Florida in their 2017 expansion draft. The dream has come true.
Zooming out: Despite being a newbie franchise, Vegas’ first title comes after clinching a playoff spot in five of their six years. Alongside the second-year squad Seattle Kraken’s recent success, it’s a major win for the league’s new expansion franchise model.
- With that proven ability to create instant contenders, puck-eager markets may not have to wait long to celebrate the best game you can name in their own arenas.
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