Golden Knights winning resiliency battle against Jets

By Ed Graney

Las Vegas Review-Journal

7 years ago

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) celebrates his score with center William Karlsson (71) against Winnipeg Jets during the third period in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Friday, May 18, 2018. Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-Journal @Erik_Verduzco

Golden Knights center Jonathan Marchessault, second from left, celebrates his goal with teammates, from left, Nate Schmidt (88), James Neal (18) and Brayden McNabb (3) during the first period of Game 3 of the NHL Western Conference finals hockey playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Wednesday, May 16, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) defends against Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) and center William Karlsson (71) during the second period in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Friday, May 18, 2018. Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-Journal @Erik_Verduzco

Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson (71) takes a shot under pressure from Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (55) during the first period in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Friday, May 18, 2018. Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-Journal @Erik_Verduzco

A shot by Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson (71) goes in for a score against Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) during the first period in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Friday, May 18, 2018. Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-Journal @Erik_Verduzco

WINNIPEG, Manitoba

Bill Foley is owner of the Golden Knights and a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, an Army guy right down to those dress grays and mules, the sort of fellow who would appreciate a certain 2011 study on resiliency that was specifically crafted for the nation’s armed forces.

The one that states there are six core factors to withstanding or recovering quickly from difficult conditions: self-awareness, self-regulation, optimism, mental agility, character and strong relationships.

William Karlsson, star center for Vegas, is a tad more simplistic when explaining his team’s ability to combat adversity:

“I guess we see a team score against us and say, ‘(Bleep) it, let’s go get it back.’ ”

I like his core factor better than the others.

The list of reasons that Vegas as an expansion NHL team is one win from an implausible trip to the Stanley Cup Final is immeasurable, although the guy in goal tickling people and rubbing the crossbar and doing the wave is pretty good, and yet one that has stood out like Marc-Andre Fleury at a fan party is its capacity to counter an opponent’s success.

The Knights in leading this best-of-seven series 3-1 — Game 5 is Sunday at Bell MTS Place — have followed three goals by the Jets with one of their own in these time spans:

One minute, 28 seconds.

Twelve seconds.

Forty-three seconds.

One allowed Vegas to secure Game 2 in the third period, another gave it a lead it wouldn’t relinquish in Game 3 and the third put the Knights up 2-1 in Game 4 on Friday, when T-Mobile Arena and an announced record gathering of 18,697 made like a beer bottle left in the freezer and exploded.

“It’s just our mentality,” Vegas defenseman Nate Schmidt said. “We get over to the bench (after an opposing score), and you can’t feel sorry for yourself, because then one goal for them will become two and three and four and it will just keep piling on.

“It has been important to our group all season that no matter what happened or how bad things got, we needed to have that push back. And when you do that and score, it can be really tough on the other team.”

Pouncing on opportunity

It’s the needle that pops a balloon, the absorbed energy that makes a ball bounce lower, the screwdriver that releases pressure from a boiler.

Motivation is created during games, and yet the Knights have discovered ways to seriously minimize the amount that Winnipeg musters. Mostly, by scoring shortly after the Jets.

“I think it’s been huge for us, right?” Fleury said. “The Jets are a team that, you know, in the playoffs, you see momentum change so quickly in the game. For us to be able to get back into the game and take our lead back right away, I think it’s been big, especially at home, getting the crowd right behind us again and then we’ve been able to ride it longer into the game.”

They aren’t at home Sunday, and yet having gained a split of the first two games in Winnipeg certainly offers Vegas a level of confidence that it could finish things amid a crazed white out gathering.

Winnipeg keeps trying to avoid such quick strikes by Vegas, the Jets opting to have a checking line such as Adam Lowry, Andrew Copp and Brandon Tanev on the ice to slow rushes after a score, while believing their best defensemen in Josh Morrissey and Jacob Trouba will have active enough sticks to protect goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

But in some of the most critical times through five games, the Knights have pounced and stuck a needle in any advantage Winnipeg might momentarily own.

“It’s a good way to be,” Knights forward James Neal said. “I think when they get one, the next guy up for us is ready to go. It’s always hard when you get one and the other team comes back and scores.

“It sucks the wind out when they score and then, boom, it’s a huge goal by us and we’re back. Timely, timely goals.”

Led and inspired and propelled by that age-old wisdom of William Wordsworth Karlsson: “(Bleep) it, let’s go get it back.”

When it comes to resiliency, what core factor comes close to matching that?

More Golden Knights: Follow Golden Knights coverage at reviewjournal.com/GoldenKnights and @HockeyinVegas on Twitter.

Contact columnist Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on Twitter.