Bruce Cassidy has been the Golden Knights’ coach for less than a yr, however he is aware of full effectively the historical past of the Misfits.
So within the recreation that may win the Stanley Cup for Vegas, Cassidy began 5 of the unique Knights and despatched the sixth one in for the second shift Tuesday evening in a 9-3 victory over the Florida Panthers.
“They’re the original guys, right?” Cassidy stated. “They’re the foundation of this hockey team. The first building blocks started with them. They’ve been here since the beginning. They lost in a final like I did. I know how that feels, so very happy for them.”
Cassidy misplaced in Game 7 of the 2019 remaining to the St. Louis Blues when he coached the Boston Bruins.
The half-dozen Knights had been on the 2017-18 staff that dubbed itself the Golden Misfits as a result of it was a set of gamers from all around the NHL.
The unique Knights fell in 5 video games to the Washington Capitals within the remaining. This time, they had been an integral a part of the championship staff that knocked off the Panthers in 5 video games.
Jonathan Marchessault, one of many gamers who watched the Capitals get together on the T-Mobile Arena ice, gained the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP.
“We waited a long time for that moment to come back,” Marchessault stated. “We wanted to make sure we cashed in this time.”
Captain Mark Stone, as is custom, was the primary to skate with the Stanley Cup. Then he handed the 37-pound trophy to Reilly Smith, and shortly after it was handed it to Marchessault after which to William Karlsson after which to Brayden McNabb after which to Shea Theodore and eventually to William Carrier.
All, besides Stone, are unique Knights.
“I don’t think we thought about that or planned that,” Carrier stated. “It was just off the call, guys calling out to one another, not well planned. The guys have been here, they’ve been battling. It’s been a lot of hockey the last six years, a lot of practices, so it’s a credit to this group of six guys that are still here. It means a lot.”
Those six haven’t solely gained the Stanley Cup, however performed within the remaining twice, and made the NHL semifinals at the very least 4 instances.
Not a nasty resume from gamers largely left unprotected from different groups.
McNabb stated the considered successful the Stanley Cup wasn’t even on his thoughts when the staff was fashioned. Vegas picked him up within the enlargement draft from the Los Angeles Kings.
“I was just hoping to make the team,” McNabb stated.
McNabb began with Theodore on the blue line towards the Panthers, and the Karlsson, Marchessault and Smith made up the Misfit line. Carrier, a ahead, entered on the sport’s second shift.
“I’m not going to lie, it was pretty cool,” Karlsson stated. “It was nice to throw it back to old school group, starting one shift, with that original group.”
And they produced.
Smith scored a purpose and assisted on one other Tuesday, Theodore completed with three assists, and McNabb, Marchessault and Karlsson every had an help. Only Carrier was left off the scoresheet, however he had a plus-one score.
Owner Bill Foley had excessive hopes for this group from the start, proclaiming it his purpose that the Knights would win the cup in six years.
They did simply that, the Misfits nonetheless an vital a part of the staff, even when the roster has gone undergone main adjustments within the years since that inaugural season.
“That was a magical year (in 2018),” Karlsson stated. ‘We were close, but unfortunately it didn’t go our approach. But that staff will all the time have a particular place in my coronary heart, and I’m glad there’s six of us right here nonetheless, and to type of get to win it for (the unique staff) is unimaginable.”
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