After playing in front of an announced 8,683 in Games 1 and 2 at T-Mobile Arena and 4,500 for Games 3 and 4 at Xcel Energy Center, the Golden Knights were looking forward to relaxed COVID-19 restrictions that will allow for more than 11,000 beginning with Monday's Game 5 in Las Vegas.
"Obviously, that's an advantage for us for sure and there's no doubt we would love nothing more than to close them out at home in front of our home crowd," Vegas coach Peter DeBoer said. "But the elimination game is always the toughest and you're playing a really good hockey team. The margins in every game so far have been razor-thin."
Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, in his first season with the Golden Knights after spending 12 in St. Louis, was relishing the opportunity to close out a series at home.
"When I was an opposing player coming in, this is obviously a fun place to play," he said. "Being the home team now, it's been real fun so far. Even before we increased capacity, it keeps on getting better. It's always special to play in games and close out at home. It's hard to do that, but I think this group's up for it. The way we played these last couple games, we really built something special here heading into the end of the series."
Flower blooming
Through four playoff games, Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury had given up four goals. In Saturday's 4-0 victory over the Wild, he posted his 16th career playoff shutout, which moved him into a tie with Curtis Joseph for third most in NHL. Only Martin Brodeur (24) and Patrick Roy (23) have more.
Fleury and Robin Lehner had been alternating starts in the regular season, but DeBoer is playing the hot hand.
"I'm sure they're both going to play a role at different points," DeBoer said, "but right now Flower's rolling."
Last year, DeBoer faced a goalie controversy when he started Lehner for 16 games and Fleury for four as the Knights reached the Western Conference final. Fleury's agent, Allan Walsh, even put out a tweet during the postseason with a Photoshopped picture of Fleury being impaled by a sword with DeBoer's name on it.
"Everyone realized this year coming in that whatever the situation rolled out that we were going to make sure it was handled property," DeBoer said. "Robin Lehner's role is understated. The support he's giving Flower isn't just what you see on Twitter. It's in the dressing room, it's between periods, it's genuine."
Paying off
After Pietrangelo swept the puck off the goal line just before Wild forward Jordan Greenway could nudge it into the net for a goal late in Game 3 on Thursday, Fleury said, "I might have to owe him a beer or something. Or Diet Coke."
On Monday, Pietrangelo confirmed he received the beverage. "Yeah, we shared a nice Diet Coke after the game, I'll tell you that," Pietrangelo said with a smile. "It's desperation. At that time of the game, this time of the year, you have to do everything you can to keep the puck out of the back of the net. I didn't have a stick, so I saw Greenway coming. Not much of a choice but to put your body on the line.
"Flower's definitely covered my butt a few times," he added, "so I think I should be the one buying him a Diet Coke."
Injury update
Brayden McNabb, who missed Game 4 because of an undisclosed injury, was a game-time decision but played in Game 5, as did fellow Vegas defenseman Alec Martinez. Forwards Max Pacioretty and Tomas Nosek did not play.
The reporter did not travel for this game. This article was written using the television broadcast and video interviews after the game.
