(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)
In the past 13 seasons, seven franchises and nine playoff starting goalies were named Stanley Cup champions. Chicago, LA and Pittsburgh won multiple rings with multiple goalies in that span. While Boston, St. Louis, Tampa and Washington lifted a cup with one. All seven clubs were built on balance, leadership and talent. Oh yeah, and strong goaltending.
Adin Hill stretches to his right and robs Johnston with a great pad save#VegasBorn | #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/7ZufTiB41p
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) May 20, 2023
Since 2010, nine notable goaltenders entered into hockey immortality. Each were designated the teams regular season starter going into the postseason. In total, the last nine championship goalies combined for 2 Conn Smyth awards, 4 Vezina awards, 12 Vezina nominations and participated in 22 All-Star games.
Those seven Cup winning clubs were equipped with an established starter. The way career sidekick Adin Hill has stood out over the past seven games, the Golden Knights could buck the trend.
It’s the mindset. Staying in the moment and facing that next shot. It’s fun. It’s exciting and intensity is at another level. It’s what you dream about as a kid and I’m excited to be here. -Adin Hill
We’ve seen younger goalies force veteran starters out of their position and we’ve seen prospects turn into overnight stars. It’s not often a backup with no postseason experience and little expectations is this close to a Stanley Cup final. In recent history, the Golden Knights fell to the Stars in 2020 with backup Anton Khudobin. However, Khudobin had some playoff experience and started 198 regular season games prior to that bubble run.
Having been stuck in Arizona and San Jose over his career, Hill arrived in Vegas with no playoff experience.
It’s fun. You deal with it your whole career knowing there’s two guys on the other team that can make plays that other guys can’t. It’s having that laid back mentality and you have to know, be aware of when they’re on the ice. It’s a challenge and I’m here to embrace it. -Hill
Vegas’ secret weapon is riding a five-game win streak and is 5-1 in the postseason. Hill is allowing 2.28 goals per game and gave up four goals once in his seven games played. Bottom line, the 27-year-old has outperformed most postseason starters.
Bringing in a guy like Jonathan Quick has been awesome for us. A veteran guy that’s been there, done everything. Me and him have had a few good conversations. He’s a great guy to relate to. -Hill
Of course, coaches Bruce Cassidy and Sean Burke deserve a lot of the credit for utilizing the entire cupboard and preparing the next man up. Their confidence and patience with the goalie rotation is making an enormous impact in the Golden Knights net. Right now, it’s paying off for Hill.
It really should be noted, if the Golden Knights go on to win a Stanley Cup with Hill or anyone else in net, it’ll be one of the most remarkable storylines in NHL history.
Mak
Hearing him talk about how he’s able to be in the moment without overthinking things has to be such a confidence boost for the other guys. That’s exactly what you want from an untested goalie thrust into the spotlight. I love that he’s thrilled to be there. What a way to prove your mettle.
JP
Who was LAs second goalie. I recall Quick playing every game in both cup runs.
Satan
This is Satan.
Jonathan Quick played every single minute of the 2012 Stanley Cup run and won all 16 games.
Jonathan Quick won all 16 games in the 2014 Stanley Cup run, however Martin Jones played 56:15.
Satan has spoken.
Bruce Kuveke
Rumor has it that the VGK management is going to immediately raise ticket prices if there is another overtime game as there is no such thing as “FREE Hockey”
Joe Kelly
And that’s why they signed with a network that will carry VGK games next year on local channel, guess what…. FOR FREE!!
PLEASE, do your homework so your little brain doesn’t overload your a**…
JV
Hill has been doing better than anyone expected. Only things I would improve on is rebound control and try to stop giving up goals in the first 5 minutes of the game. Subban used to do that and it drove me nuts.
Jailbird
Hill is doing great, period! Has kept us in games and saved games for us. Been a beast. So glad for him, such a humble guy!
Roberto
The focus is always on the big dollar guys, but the VGK front office paints in the margins with incredible quality for the value. Happens all over the roster, with Hill the current most notable pick up to tighten the roster margins.
You could (via technicality*) call Adin Hill VGK’s fifth goalie, as Michael Hutchinson was signed in July and Hill was picked up via trade in August.
Lehner
Brossoit
Thompson
Hutchinson *technically speaking
Hill
Quick
That’s some solid work right there.
Emmanuel
4 of those guys are in the top 100 of goalies in the world and there isnt much difference between #3 and #93! Overpaying for a G is the begining of the end for a franchise.
Satan
This is Satan.
6 more wins.
One win at a time. One team at a time.
Satan has spoken
Arnold Rothstein
The Stars are -150 home favorites in Game 3 of their Western Conference Finals series against the Golden Knights Tuesday.
Arnold’s take:
Including playoffs and regular season Jake Oettinger has a record of 23-2-3 following a loss. The smart money is to take the Dallas Stars to beat the golden knights, and to do it quite easily on Tuesday night.
Let me show you around, maybe play you a sound
You look like you’re both pretty groovy
Or if you want something visual that’s not too abysmal
We could take in an old Steve Reeves movie
I’m glad we caught you at home
Could we use your phone?
We’re both in a bit of a hurry (right!)
We’ll just say where we are, then go back to the car
We don’t want to be any worry
Well, you got caught with a flat, well, how about that?
Well, babies, don’t you panic
By the light of the night, it’ll all seem alright
Donald J Trump
@ AR
It’s astounding
Time is fleeting
Madness takes its toll
But listen closely
Not for very much longer
I’ve got to keep control
I remember doing the Time Warp
Drinking those moments when
The blackness would hit me
And the void would be calling
Let’s do the Time Warp again
Let’s do the Time Warp again
It’s just a jump to the left
And then a step to the right
Put your hands on your hips
You bring your knees in tight
But it’s the pelvic thrust
That really drives you insane
Let’s do the Time Warp again
Let’s do the Time Warp again
It’s so dreamy
Oh, fantasy free me
So you can’t see me
No, not at all
In another dimension
With voyeuristic intention
Well-secluded
I see all
With a bit of a mind flip
You’re into the time slip
And nothing can ever be the same
You’re spaced out on sensation
Like you’re under sedation
Let’s do the Time Warp again
Let’s do the Time Warp again
Well, I was walking down the street just a-having a think
When a snake of a guy gave me an evil wink
He shook-a me up, he took me by surprise
He had a pickup truck and the devil’s eyes
He stared at me and I felt a change
Time meant nothing, never would again
Let’s do the Time Warp again
Let’s do the Time Warp again
It’s just a jump to the left
And then a step to the right
Put your hands on your hips
You bring your knees in tight
But it’s the pelvic thrust
That really drives you insane
Let’s do the Time Warp again
Let’s do the Time Warp again
Arnold Rothstein
the real ARnold did not take that bet
you gone
The Devil’s sidekick
Yeah Dallas had a real easy time on Tuesday and ole Jake played so well.
Satan
This is Satan.
Satan’s existence on this site is no longer necessary as the abuse and harassment appears to have come to an end and nearly nonexistent. Good bye to you all.
Vegas Golden Knights will win the Stanley Cup.
Satan has spoken.
Emmanuel
Yeah with the cats taking a 3-0 lead and Barkov possibly hurt the path looks golden!
TS
Satan, I want to thank you for intervening in regard to the mentioned harrassment…I honestly think your input made a difference.
And, if I may say so again, you’re really quite clever. And WHO KNEW Satan had a great sense of humor!! ( …AND a HOCKEY FAN!!)
Anyway, I have enjoyed your input on sinbin, and I HOPE you won’t need to intervene again!
GIVE DALLAS HELL, KNIGHTS!!! NO offense, Satan…)
knights fan in minny
stop it you phony fraud
knights fan in minny
stop it you phony fraud satan
knights fan in minny
you wont be missed fraud
TS
Kfim, don’t let this bother you. He only wanted to help stop all the “extracurricular CRAP” that was pissing so many off here. I was also a bit put off by him, but I came to realize he was using his Humor and EXTENSIVE posts to prove a point. I think he did. No matter WHO he really is, I understand WHY he did what he did. We were ALL sick of the BS… he just tried to stop it in his unique way!!!
PEAC, KFIM!! ENJOY GAME 3!!
Karl
Goodbye Satan and thank you for your comments in the past month. You seem like a cool guy.
Donald J Trump
@satan
As I recall you are basically talking about yourself. ThG called you out as Alex, TS Alex, Theresa’s Alex, Obvious, Obilvious, the TS stalker, North LV ALEX, jose, minnie, and many many many other aliases. Now you are Satan and all your other aliases go away ? You are not fooling anyone. Good riddance , because anyone who calls themselves satan is one sick fucked up, mental psycho nut job.
The commenters in this forum can be put into three categories. Smart ones like Howard, Blitz, Sorvino,KFIM , Roberto, Arnold, the hockey god, and few others like Ian.
The dumb shit ones like TS, Satan, and a few others who can’t stand opinions from others people, psycho nut jobs. I am not naming the others. They know who they are. They add absolutely no value to this site, and hate on others. Satan in particular has proven to be a stalking psycho creep who has repeatedly trolled many people on this site. Once he was legally threatened he changed his alias to Satan, but this sicko is not fooling anyone.
And the Rah rah types like old Doc, Rich, Pete,Rashaad,Karl, Karl with K, Emmanual, Jailbird- which is not a knock on them. They are what they are. And they add value to site.
good riddance, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
TS
Wait for it. . . . HE’S BAAACK!!!!!
Rashaad
TS, I was dying laughing when I read what the hockey guy just wrote and then really started laughing uncontrollably when you mentioned that Satan may come back.
TS
Hahaha, Satan spoke too soon! Wonder where THG went for a whole 3 days? Was he sharpening his claws??
TS
Donald, coming from YOU, I consider your derogatory remarks about me a TRUE COMPLIMENT!!!
Btw: DJT is the perfect name for you, THG!! You are two peas in a pod! two NUTS in the sack!!
TS
DONALD, Just curious…tell us what value Y-O-U bring to this HOCKEY SITE…..HMMMMM?????
Pistol Pete
ESPN article on Eichel. Hope this does not prove to be a jinx (I am not superstitious so I doubt it will).
https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/37706627/jack-eichel-vegas-golden-knights-stanley-cup