Golden Knights Advance Past Mammoth in 6 Games

The Vegas Golden Knights advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs by eliminating the Utah Mammoth in six games with a 5-1 victory Friday night at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series against the Anaheim Ducks begins Monday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where the Golden Knights enter as 2-1 betting favorites.

Vegas navigated a tense first-round series marked by resilience. The Mammoth seized third-period leads in Games 4 and 5, positioning themselves for potential control of the matchup. The Golden Knights rallied with an overtime win in Game 4 and a late tying goal followed by a second overtime victory in Game 5. They then delivered their most complete performance in the clincher, scoring three goals in the third period alone.

Experience proved vital for the 2023 Stanley Cup champions, who have reached the second round in three of the past four postseasons and advanced beyond the first round in six of eight playoff appearances. "We've been here before. We don't have the panic that maybe some other teams do," Vegas captain Mark Stone said. "We calm ourselves pretty quickly." Defenseman Brayden McNabb added that...