Mark Stone scored a goal and added an assist as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 to complete a four-game sweep and advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Cole Smith also scored for Vegas, while Carter Hart made 20 saves to help the Golden Knights secure the win as the No. 1 seed from the Pacific Division.
Stone opened the scoring at 4:42 of the first period after taking a high flip from Brayden McNabb in the neutral zone. He controlled the puck, moved in alone on a breakaway and finished with a backhand-to-forehand move to beat Mackenzie Blackwood’s left pad. It was another big performance for Stone, who had already recorded a goal and an assist in Game 3, a 5-3 Vegas victory on Sunday, after returning from a lower-body injury that had kept him out for five games.
The Golden Knights extended their lead late in the third period. Smith redirected Dylan Coghlan’s shot from the point through Blackwood’s five-hole at 14:15 to make it 2-0. Colorado then pulled Blackwood for an extra attacker and finally got on the scoreboard at 17:57 when Gabriel Landeskog deflected Martin Necas’ point shot down off the ice and over Hart’s blocker. That goal cut the deficit to 2-1, but the Avalanche could not find an equalizer before time ran out.
Blackwood finished with 24 saves in his first start of the series for Colorado, which entered the playoffs as the Presidents’ Trophy winner. Despite the strong regular season, the Avalanche were unable to solve a disciplined Vegas team that kept finding ways to respond in pressure moments.
After the game, Stone said the Golden Knights’ ability to handle adversity during the 82-game season helped prepare them for the playoffs. He said the team never wavered and has relied on consistency and a strong will to win throughout the postseason. Coach John Tortorella echoed that view, saying his team stayed steady even when facing deficits earlier in the playoffs and focused on simply playing its game.
Colorado coach Jared Bednar said the Avalanche ran into a “buzz saw” against Vegas and praised the Golden Knights for peaking at the right time. He said it was not a criticism of his own players, who worked hard throughout the series, but rather recognition that Vegas has become a highly efficient and well-coordinated team.
The Golden Knights now move on to the Stanley Cup Final, where they will face either the Montreal Canadiens or the Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina currently leads that best-of-7 series 2-1. Colorado, meanwhile, will turn its attention to the offseason after being eliminated by a Vegas team that proved too strong in all three zones. Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin did not play because of a lower-body injury.
