Vegas looks to continue fairy tale with 会議／協議会 肩書を与える
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Just 説 the Vegas Golden Knights are one 勝利，勝つ away from 前進するing to the Stanley Cup Final has a magical （犯罪の）一味 to it.
But what's even more mystical is thinking the Knights are a mere five 勝利，勝つs from hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup in its 就任の season.
Five more 勝利，勝つs, over a 可能性のある 10 games.
Vegas Golden Knights celebrate the team's 3-2 勝利，勝つ against the Winnipeg Jets during Game 4 of the NHL ホッケー Western 会議／協議会 決勝戦 Friday, May 18, 2018, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Marc Sanchez)
And while this might be a first-year team 令状ing a fantastical Hollywood screenplay nobody could've scripted last summer when the roster was 建設するd, the NHL プレーオフs are nothing new to a 核心 of characters in this cast.
Everybody knows about three-time Stanley Cup 支持する／優勝者 Marc-Andre Fleury, a 重要な 人物／姿／数字 during Pittsburgh's 統治する the last two years, and 10-year 退役軍人 James Neal, who was with Nashville for last year's run to the final against th e Penguins.
But between guys such as David Perron, Luca Sbisa, Deryk Engelland, Ryan Reaves, Reilly Smith, Cody Eakin and Tomas Tatar, the Golden Knights aren't as new to the プレーオフs as people may believe.
The players' individual postseason pedigree could be part of the 推論する／理由 the team is one game from clinching the Western 会議／協議会. Another 推論する／理由 is the 切望 of Fleury and Neal's co-星／主役にするs in this feel-good story.
"We don't see ourselves as an 拡大 team for a long time now," said Perron, a 13-year 退役軍人 who is playing in his seventh postseason. "But at the same time, it's always nice to keep 証明するing people wrong and we know that even at this point, I don't feel like people believe we'll の近くに it out. So, we've got to find a way."
Coach Gerard Gallant has shown he has 信用／信任 in all his players, as they've all experienced 圧力 状況／情勢s and 成し遂げるd 井戸／弁護士席 in all three 一連の会議、交渉／完成する of the プレーオフs, 含むing seven one-goal games. Not 含むing Fleury's 129 career プレーオフ games, or Neal's 94, the players who skated in Friday night's 3-2 Game 4 victory now have a 連合させるd 489 games of postseason experience to their credit.
"It's not new for those guys, I don't think you get here if you don't use your ホッケー players," Gallant said. "We've done it from Day One and there's no 推論する／理由 not to use them because everybody competes, everybody 戦う／戦いs and everybody's a part of our team. That's what we do. Guys work hard and compete hard and do your 職業 and you'll play. I feel comfortable putting most of our guys on the ice. There's no 問題／発行するs there."
And that's because the Golden Knights have always done a good 職業 of living in the moment, and not looking past each game.
Erik Haula spent his first four seasons in Minnesota and went to the プレーオフs every year, but it didn't take long for him to realize he was with a special group of players.
"We got off to a 広大な／多数の／重要な start, won two on the road (to open the season)," said Haula, who has three goals and four assi sts in the postseason. "権利 after that first home game, that was special. It was a special night for the whole community. 権利 there, I think we （機の）カム together as a community, as a team. We never looked 支援する. We just kept going.
"We just have a の近くに group. We 尊敬（する）・点 every 選び出す／独身 person in here. We need every 選び出す／独身 person in here."
Luca Sbisa has been in the league nine years and been to the postseason five times. His presence on 弁護 has 支えるd the 乗組員 on the blueline, helping to 中立にする／無効にする Winnipeg's depth on 罪／違反.
"Coming in I just 手配中の，お尋ね者 to help this team and do what I could, 特に on the ice," said Sbisa, who went to the プレーオフs in four of the five seasons he was with Anaheim. "I 手配中の，お尋ね者 to give our team a chance to 勝利，勝つ every night and here we are. We can't look too far ahead, you gotta take it one game at a time. If you think about the next game you're probably going to shoot yourself in the foot. We just have to find the balance of 存在 積極的な and 存在 smart. It's been a long and fun ride so far."
The fun continues Sunday, when the Jets host Game 5 and will look to stay alive against the fairy tale Knights from Vegas.
"I would say that winning and having fun go 手渡す-in-手渡す," said Eakin, now in his seventh year and playing in his third postseason. "I've been on a few teams that have been pretty good, won a few times. We know we got to play our best ホッケー. 特に this time of year, there's not a team that is going to roll over and die."
Vegas Golden Knights 左翼 James Neal, left, celebrates the team's 3-2 勝利，勝つ with Marc-Andre Fleury after Game 4 of the NHL ホッケー Western 会議／協議会 決勝戦 agains the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, May 18, 2018, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
