Mattias Janmark had scored just one goal since being acquired by Vegas at the trade deadline from Chicago.
He tripled that Friday night with his …
Mattias Janmark had scored just one goal since being acquired by Vegas at the trade deadline from Chicago. He tripled that Friday night with his first career hat trick in what might have been the most important home playoff game in the Golden Knights’ four-year history, a 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild in Game 7 of their opening-round series. «It’s what every player dreams of, to score in a Game 7,» Janmark said. «To win a Game 7 and to score a hat trick, it’s hard to believe that it’s going to happen to you, but today, bounces were going in. «It’s a dream come true, for sure.» Nic Hague, Max Pacioretty and Zach Whitecloud also scored for Vegas, which hosted a Game 7 for the first time after losing in San Jose in 2018 and defeating Vancouver in Edmonton last year. It was also the first time Vegas clinched a playoff series at home. Marc-Andre Fleury, playing in his eighth career Game 7, made 19 saves to earn his 85th playoff victory in front of an announced crowd of 12,156. Fleury is three playoff wins shy of tying Billy Smith and Ed Belfour for fourth in NHL history. «It was a ton of fun,» said Hague, the only Golden Knights skater in the lineup who hadn’t played in a Game 7. «The building was rocking, which is always awesome. But it was on another level tonight. A little nervous at the start. Boy, was that a fun game.» Vegas, which squandered a 3-1 series lead for the third straight season, heads to Denver for Sunday’s second-round opener against the Colorado Avalanche.
