Understandably, Mitch Marner hogged most of the headlines following his legendary Game 3 performance. He scored the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history, beating Rocket Richard, the man the scoring title trophy is named after. He became the first player ever to record four points in the same period, and he became the highest point scorer in playoff history in his first season with a new team.
Marner loudly wrapped his figurative arms around the Conn Smythe while he and the rest of the Golden Knights exhaled following a double overtime epic that will go down as one of the best games in NHL history.
#93 isn’t doing it alone, though. Just about every time he’s hopped over the boards since the Anaheim series, he’s been the right wing on a line with William Karlsson and Brett Howden. That trio has now amassed an unbelievable 25 goals and 52 points in a combined 51 games (19 for each of Marner and Howden, 13 for Karlsson).
This is all while being Vegas’ most dominant shutdown defensive line as well. Marner leads all players in the postseason with a +16 rating. Howden’s +13 is only behind teammate Shea Theodore, and Karlsson is in the top 10 with a +10 despite missing an entire round.
In 13 games, since the opener of Round Two, the trio of Karlsson, Marner, and Howden has shared the ice for 128:31. They’ve been out there for eight goals, including the double OT game-winner in Game 3, and have conceded just three times. That’s an average of 1.4 goals against per 60 while scoring 3.7. In other words, because forwards only play about a third of the game at most, they score a little more than one goal per game while allowing only one per three games.
They’ve stepped it up even further in this series against Carolina too. They are the only VGK forward line to outshoot opponents at 5-on-5, they are a +2 as a group scoring five goals, including two of three of Marner’s hat trick (Howden was not on the ice yet for the third one), and they’ve completely shut down the Hurricanes’ best players.
William Karlsson TOI and Goal Differential vs. CAR
K’Andre Miller – 28:49 / +4
Sean Walker – 28:16 / +5
Logan Stankoven – 27:58 / +3
Jackson Blake – 27:34 / +3
Taylor Hall – 27:00 / +1
Jaccob Slavin – 17:16 / +1
Jordan Staal – 11:42 / -1
Andrei Svechnikov – 11:24 / +3
Sebastian Aho – 10:28 / +2
No matter which matchup this group has gotten, they’ve controlled play. Plus, they are doing it while starting in the defensive zone more often than many of their teammates. Karlsson and Howden are both around 57% D-Zone starts while Marner has been offered a few extra shifts with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone which pushed him up to 50%.
Karlsson, Marner, and Howden have been the driving force for the Golden Knights both offensively and defensively, and it’s giving John Tortorella the freedom to choose better matchups for everyone else. Eichel and Stone saw much more of Jarvis and Svechnikov in Game 3, and took advantage of it, outshooting them 5-2. He was able to get the 4th line out against Carolina’s 4th line much more often which limited Janokowski and Robinson’s defensive impact against VGK’s top six. And it has allowed Sissons and Hertl the opportunity to take on a more defensive role in slowing down Stankoven and Hall.
Vegas’ new super line of Karlsson, Marner, and Howden has become the engine for the Golden Knights. They’ve done everything and more for this team since Karlsson returned to the lineup, and now they’ve got themselves and their teammates two wins away from the holy grail.
Jeffrey Sutton
wouldn’t it be cool if Vegas gets a win Tuesday and goes up 3-1?
Richie-Rich
Marner didn’t need to reinvent himself here in Vegas. He just needed to be in an organization where there was enough balance to allow him to not be the center of the opposition’s targeting. In Vegas, the lines are so deep that they can afford to move Stone up to line 1 or down on line 3. The team is deep in playoff experience and enough talent that Carolina can’t use their top line to cover what Vegas is bringing to the fight. Carolina has to pick its poison. Do they focus their top line against Eichel, Barbashev and Dorofeyev, or Karlsson, Marner and Howden? But, then again they have to deal with Hertl, Sissons, Stone. Line 4 isn’t a push over either with Dowd, Smith & Kolesar.
Credit the Hated Vegas Front Office for putting together such a deep and experienced team. Marner has come out of the desert that is Toronto and is playing on a champion caliber team with a lot of depth. I bet that it is a breath of fresh air for him after being placed under so much pressure for so long in Toronto.
Frank
Yup, even though I have absolutely hated some of the moves (Fleury and Marchy come to mind first) – and admittedly I have loved others (Marner, Hanafin and Hart are amongst those)….. This front office seems to consistently make the right moves, even with the ones that are not “popular”. Go knights go!
A VGK Fan
I am not sure Dorofeyev is a good fit on the 3rd line. I think Stone on 3rd line was better. Doro looked out of place and didnt seem to get any good looks 5on5 on 3rd line. He got plenty of looks when on 1st line. I am not sure why they switched Stone to 1st line (right hand shot maybe?) but it didnt seem to work all too great.
Frank
Doro is much better served on the first line with Eichel and Barbie. Stone should be anchoring that third line – would seem much more match up friendly and give the 3rd line some extra juice. I think Torts knows much better than to mess with the magic that is Marner/Karlsson/Howden.
Sirgoomba
Don’t ever underestimate the value of the silent Swedish assassin!
JB
I think the concentration needs to be on: We have given up multi-goal leads in the third period, the last two games. Ya gotta close out games, period!
Frank
This, we need to come out early and aggressive! Get the lead and then hold on to it!!!! We have not had an issue with either A. Getting a multi goal lead or B. coming from behind. We can score. Just need to hold up the lead!
larry
Besides the obvious goal of winning The Stanley Cup, the sheer jubilation that would be felt once again, the parade. the sequel to THE SPEECH, the other main desire I have is a big one as well. to NOT have to look repeatedly at that gum chewing face of their coach ad-nauseum!
larry
Sorry, I should have been more specific in stating I was referring to the canes coach.
Pistol Pete
Torts has indicated Hanifin and McNabb are both expected to play. Nice to know as neither was at the standing room only practice yesterday. I wanted to go myself but aborted when there was not one single empty parking place. What a hockey town this is.
I tend to agree Pav is better on the Eichel line and Stone adds depth to the Hertl-Sissons line, however Stone may be more likely to score with Eichel. Close call for Torts to start the game but he can always switch it up.
This Dylan Larkin situation is gathering a head of steam. He has named us as one of his choices and with his NMC has all the say. Last five seasons 30+ G $8.7m AAV. Let’s first win this Cup and get back on this conversation!
Larry
Hill and Pavel for Larkin…. they get a Stanley Cup winning goalie plus a potential 40 goal scorer… just sayin’
Richie-Rich
No one is taking Hill without us having to eat half his CAP. Dorofeyev is a keeper. You trade Hertl, Sissons, Lauzon for Larkin and possibly throw Reilly Smith in as well. Hill is eating too much CAP to be a back up goaltender.