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Golden Knights after sweeping into finals: ‘Now the real stuff starts’

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May 26, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) celebrates scoring against Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (39) during the first period in game four of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn ImagesMay 26, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) celebrates scoring against Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (39) during the first period in game four of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

After his team completed a surprising four-game sweep of the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference finals with a 2-1 victory on Tuesday, Vegas Golden Knights coach John Tortorella was already looking ahead to the team’s third Stanley Cup Final in nine seasons.

“Now the real stuff starts,” Tortorella said. “I consider the first three round playoffs. Now we’re playing for the Stanley Cup.”

Mark Stone and Cole Smith scored goals and Carter Hart made 20 saves for Vegas, which won its sixth straight postseason game. The Golden Knights will vie for the championship against the winner of the Eastern Conference finals, either the Carolina Hurricanes or the Montreal Canadiens.

The Golden Knights lost the Stanley Cup Final to the Washington Capitals in five games in their inaugural season in 2018 before defeating the Florida Panthers in five games to win the 2023 title.

The Avalanche, who finished the regular season with a league-best 121 points, became the fifth Presidents’ Trophy-winning team to get swept in a playoff series. They were outscored 14-7 by Vegas.

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“I didn’t think we’d win four straight against these guys, but when you have a chance to put them away, you have to put them away,” Stone said. “So that was a big one tonight.”

Vegas center Jack Eichel added, “We should be really proud with what we did and what we accomplished so far. That being said, the ultimate goal is to hoist the Stanley Cup. We still have to win four more games. We have a veteran group, and I think we understand that.”

Gabriel Landeskog scored a 6-on-5 goal with 2:03 left for Colorado’s lone goal.

“It’s empty,” Landeskog said. “It always is, whether you lose in seven, six, five or four (games), it’s an empty feeling. It sucks. There’s no other way to put it.”

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No Presidents’ Trophy recipient has reached the Stanley Cup Final since the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks won the championship.

Colorado goalie Mackenzie Blackwood finished with 24 saves. Blackwood, making his series debut, entered the contest with a 0-4-1 career record and a 3.63 goals-against average against Vegas but kept the Avalanche in the game with a number of blue-chip saves.

Nathan MacKinnon, who led the NHL with 53 regular-season goals and was questionable after taking a puck off his right knee in Game 3 on Sunday, led all Avalanche forwards with 22:10 time on ice and had two shots on goal.

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Vegas, which scored five unanswered goals over the final two periods to pull out a 5-3 victory in Game 3 on Sunday, made it six consecutive goals when Stone scored at the 4:42 mark of the first period.

Brayden McNabb picked up the primary assist, lobbing a long stretch pass that Stone caught just before the blue line. Stone then went in on a breakaway, deking Blackwood and wrapping a shot around the goalie’s left leg for his fifth goal of the playoffs.

Colorado had a good chance to tie it near the end of the period when Brock Nelson had a breakaway, but Hart made a glove save on his wrist shot.

Vegas took charge in a scoreless second period, outshooting the Avalanche 11-6, including a couple grade-A chances by Pavel Dorofeyev on a power play near the end of the period that Blackwood turned away. Colorado didn’t register a shot on goal over the final 14 minutes of the period.

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Smith made it 2-0 with 5:45 to go in the third period when he deflected Dylan Coghlan’s shot through Blackwood’s pads for his third playoff goal and the game-winner.

Colorado pulled Blackwood for an extra attacker with 2:15 remaining, and Landeskog scored just 18 seconds later, deflecting a Martin Necas shot in the slot over Hart’s shoulder.

The Avalanche pulled Blackwood again shortly after the ensuing faceoff but managed just one shot the rest of the way, a slap shot by MacKinnon that Hart saved.

“You go from being in the battle and the buzzer goes and the season’s over,” Landeskog said. “It’s a weird feeling to try to describe to people, but empty is probably the way to do it.”

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Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, a two-time winner of the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman and a finalist this season, ended the campaign with a six-game point drought. Makar missed the Games 1 and 2 against Vegas while nursing an upper-body injury.

“Obviously, you have a great season. We have a lot of committed guys,” Makar said. “But playoffs are different. It doesn’t matter who you are coming into the playoffs, everybody’s a different beast. We respect teams, you try and go at them, but sometimes you just run into something that feels like you can’t sustain it.”

–Field Level Media

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Dodgers’ revamped batting order pummels Rockies 15-6

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May 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA;  Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) runs after hitting a single during the third inning Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesMay 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) runs after hitting a single during the third inning Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Mookie Betts and Andy Pages combined for three home runs while thriving from new spots in the batting order as the Los Angeles Dodgers rolled to a 15-6 victory over the visiting Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.

Betts homered twice while Pages, Enrique Hernandez and Will Smith also went deep as Los Angeles extended its winning streak to four games and won for the 11th time in 13 contests.

Left-hander Eric Lauer (2-5) went six strong innings in his Dodgers debut. He gave up one run on four hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

Starting in the cleanup spot for the first time since 2017, Betts homered in the first inning and had his first multi-homer game since May 19, 2025. He finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs.

Pages, moved up to the No. 2 spot for the first time this season, tied his career high with four hits.

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Hunter Goodman, Brett Sullivan and Kyle Karros hit home runs for the Rockies. Left-hander Kyle Freeland (1-6) gave up season highs of eight hits and nine runs over four innings. He struck out four without issuing a walk.

Colorado lost its fourth consecutive game and fell for the seventh time in the past eight contests.

The Dodgers jumped in front 2-0 in the first inning when Betts hit a home run to center off Freeland.

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Goodman pulled a run back for the Rockies in the second with a leadoff home run to center.

The Dodgers began to distance themselves in the third when Hernandez hit a leadoff home run and Pages went deep two batters later for a 4-1 lead. Hernandez was playing in his second game of the season after returning Monday from offseason elbow surgery, but he left the Tuesday game after the fourth inning because of a strained left oblique.

The Dodgers scored four more times in the fourth when Miguel Rojas came home on a wild pitch, Pages hit a two-run double and Freddie Freeman hit a sacrifice fly. Rojas (double) and Hyeseong Kim (sacrifice fly) brought home runs in the fifth.

Betts added a two-run homer and Smith delivered a three-run shot in the sixth for Los Angeles, which tied its season highs for runs and hits (17).

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Sullivan and Karros hit home runs in the Rockies’ five-run ninth against Rojas, who moved to the mound from third base.

–Field Level Media

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Golden Knights out-execute Avalanche for shocking sweep in West Final

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LAS VEGAS – Five minutes into Game 4, the whole Colorado Avalanche season flickered in front of the hockey world like a loose puck on bad ice.

Cale Makar, of all people, appeared to be sprung in alone – the exact guy you’d script for the moment. But Nathan MacKinnon’s neutral‑zone feed was a touch off. Makar reached, lunged, stabbed… and watched it skitter off his stick and into the corner.

That was the Avs’ playoffs in one misfire.

Brayden McNabb, from the top of his own circle, launched a perfect Hail Mary flip over two lines – a moonshot that seemed to scrape the rafters at T-Mobile Arena – that Mark Stone gloved down at the opposing blue line while in full stride. Stone walked in alone, froze Mackenzie Blackwood with a backhand to forehand deke, and tucked it home.

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One team’s near‑miss. The other’s dagger.

A microcosm of a sweep no one saw coming, and one the heavily favoured Presidents’ Trophy winners will be chewing on all summer.

Colorado wasn’t miles off. They were inches off. Half‑steps off. A hair late, a shade wide, a touch hesitant. And against a Vegas team that’s bigger, deeper, hungrier, and cleaner than they’ve ever been, those tiny gaps became the difference.

Every game, the Golden Knights found the extra goal, the extra save.

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If either MacKinnon or Makar were anywhere close to healthy, you wonder if that opening‑minute pass connects and Makar finishes. But we’ll never know. Stone’s early strike wasn’t just a goal, it was the beginning of the end.

A season of wire‑to‑wire domination ended with a footnote: the most shocking sweep since John Tortorella’s Blue Jackets toppled Tampa in 2019.

Logan O’Connor said he felt humiliated. 

“We found ways to lose hockey games,” said captain Gabe Landeskog.

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“I think the course of the regular season, and in the first two rounds, it was the opposite. At times I thought we deserved better, but they’re a good hockey team. They’re desperate and played hard.”

After losing just one of their first nine playoff games, the Avs ran into a team now on a 19‑4‑1 heater since Tortorella arrived and famously vowed to “stay out of the way.”

At the coach’s insistence, Vegas didn’t just clog lanes, they erased them. Colorado couldn’t get shots through, couldn’t get bodies to the net, couldn’t get Vegas scrambling. And when they finally did? Carter Hart swallowed everything like a Roomba with fresh batteries. 

After Stone’s opener, the rest felt like a long, slow death march. While playing a smothering defence, Vegas actually had 22 of the game’s 31 high‑danger chances.

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Their best game of the series.

In the third, the Knights mucked it up, allowed just seven shots, and added an insurance marker from Cole Smith with six minutes left.

Landeskog’s goal with two minutes left made it 2–1 and silenced a raucous Fortress. Briefly. But as the Avs’ last‑minute push fizzled, the crowd went bonkers.

As part of the on-ice celly, as they prepped to bring out the Clarence Campbell Bowl, Mitch Marner turned to no one in particular and screamed up at the heavens. The crowd ate it up.

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“A special moment,” said the Conn Smythe frontrunner who has flipped the narrative on his perennial springtime blues.

“There’s been some dark times in hockey for myself, honestly. Thankful for my family, my brother, my mom and dad, my wife, all my friends around me. That was a moment to express some joy and some fun there. I’ll enjoy it for the night and be ready to go to work.”

MacKenzie Blackwood’s first appearance of the series made you wonder if Colorado could’ve stolen one earlier with him in net. But there’s no more wondering anymore.

When MacKinnon said before the series that it would go seven, we thought he was being generous. No one saw it ending this way. 

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MacKinnon didn’t make himself available afterwards. Team personnel said he was getting treatment. 

Asked about the injury that kept him out of the first two games of the series, Makar was straight class.

“I’m not, I’m not the type of guy to talk about that,” he said.

“I did everything I can to feel good and come back and feel confident in my play, and felt 100 per cent out there.”

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Cue debates over Jared Bednar’s future, and rumours swirling around GM Chris MacFarland leaving for Nashville.

None of that changes the truth: the Avs were a half‑step behind a Vegas team now heading to its third Stanley Cup Final in nine seasons.

The Avs weren’t blown out. They weren’t embarrassed. They were simply beaten by a team that executed every little thing a tiny bit better. And in the playoffs, the little things aren’t little. They’re everything.

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Abhishek Sharma: IPL 2026 Eliminator Could Be Pure ‘Carnage’

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The stakes could not be higher as Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals prepare to lock horns in the Eliminator of IPL 2026 in Mullanpur on Wednesday. With a place in Qualifier 2 on the line and elimination awaiting the loser, there is absolutely no room left for error. Yet, while the team dynamics promise high drama, the real headline-grabber is the prospect of pure, unadulterated batting ‘carnage’ at the top of the order. This knockout clash sets the stage for a mouth-watering, boundary-heavy showdown between two of the tournament’s most destructive left-handed openers — Rajasthan’s young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Hyderabad’s aggressive talisman Abhishek Sharma.

There isn’t a lot separating Sooryavanshi and Abhishek in the Orange Cap standings. While Sooryavanshi is placed 6th, with 583 runs to his name, Abhishek is 8th with 563. If the previous encounters this season are anything to go by, the opening overs of this Eliminator will be an absolute carnival of boundaries. 

During their first meeting in Hyderabad, SRH’s batting unit put on a brutal display, but it was their second clash in Jaipur that truly set the tone for this individual rivalry. On that day, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced one of the most violent spectacles in IPL history, hammering a stunning 36-ball century. He exacted ruthless revenge on SRH’s debutant pacer Praful Hinge by smashing him for four sixes in the very opening over of the match.

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However, Abhishek Sharma refused to be outshone. Leading a commanding chase of 228, Sharma tore into the Royals’ bowling attack with equal ferocity, proving that he can match Sooryavanshi blow for blow. On Wednesday night, with the Mullanpur pitch offering a license to thrill, these two dynamic openers are expected to go all-out from ball one.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Have Form On Their Side

Sunrisers Hyderabad head into this knockout clash as favourites, holding momentum and confidence after defeating Rajasthan Royals twice during the league phase. Pat Cummins‘ side finished third on the points table with 18 points from 14 matches — level with the top two sides, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans — but slipped to the Eliminator owing to an inferior net run rate.

SRH’s campaign has been a masterclass in resilience. The franchise had to navigate the opening half of the tournament without regular captain Pat Cummins, prompting the management to hand leadership responsibilities to Ishan Kishan. After losing three of their first four matches, Hyderabad revived their season with five consecutive victories to stabilise their playoff push. Cummins’ return further strengthened the side, with SRH winning two of their final three league games.

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While their young bowling attack, featuring Sakib Hussain and Eshan Malinga alongside Cummins — has stepped up admirably, Hyderabad’s true backbone remains their terrifying batting unit. With Sharma providing the initial fireworks, Ishan Kishan (who smashed a brutal 91 off 44 balls in the first RR game) and Heinrich Klaasen provide lethal firepower in the middle order, alongside the rapidly evolving Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Rajasthan Royals: Third Time Lucky?

For Rajasthan Royals, the Eliminator represents the ultimate chance to rewrite the narrative against Hyderabad after two difficult defeats. They sealed the final playoff berth with a crucial victory over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, finishing fourth with 16 points after winning eight league matches.

To overcome a Hyderabad side that has consistently troubled them, Rajasthan will need to fully unleash their explosive batting lineup. If Sooryavanshi can replicate his Jaipur heroics and survive the early threat of Praful Hinge, RR possess the firepower to completely disrupt the SRH bowling plans.

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Knockout cricket famously ignores league-stage history. While Hyderabad hold the psychological edge, Rajasthan know that if Sooryavanshi wins the opening powerplay battle against Sharma’s counterpart, the road to the IPL 2026 final remains wide open.

For one team, the journey continues. For the other, Wednesday night will mark a violent end of the road.

With IANS Inputs


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Watch: World champion D Gukesh fails to open water bottle at Norway Chess, puts it back after epic struggle | Chess News

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Watch: World champion D Gukesh fails to open water bottle at Norway Chess, puts it back after epic struggle
D Gukesh fails to open water bottle at Norway Chess

NEW DELHI: World champion D Gukesh on Wednesday had an unintentionally funny moment during the Norway Chess tournament that quickly caught fans’ attention online. In the middle of his tense Round 2 clash against Wesley So, the young Indian grandmaster appeared to need a quick water break. But things did not go as planned.Sitting deep in thought during the game, Gukesh reached for a bottle placed beside the board and tried opening it. After struggling with the cap for a few seconds and failing to get it open, the 19-year-old quietly gave up and placed the bottle back on the table, leading to a hilarious viral clip that spread rapidly across social media.Watch:The light-hearted moment came during an otherwise frustrating day for the reigning world champion.Gukesh had looked in control for large parts of his classical game against So, pressing hard across a marathon 116-move battle. The Indian prodigy seemed close to converting his advantage into a full win before So managed to escape with a draw.The game then moved into Armageddon, where So completely turned the tables. The American outplayed Gukesh in the tie-breaker to secure 1.5 points, while Gukesh had to settle for one point after a mentally draining encounter.The defeat visibly upset the Indian teenager, who struggled to hide his frustration during post-match broadcast duties. To make matters tougher, So later questioned whether Gukesh’s current rating accurately reflected his strength.Elsewhere, Alireza Firouzja continued his brilliant run by defeating R Praggnanandhaa despite battling an ankle injury and using crutches around the venue. Defending champion Magnus Carlsen also survived a scare against Germany’s Vincent Keymer before finally clinching his first victory of the tournament through Armageddon.READ ALSO: Norway Chess: Divya Deshmukh pips India No. 1 Koneru Humpy in Armageddon; no joy for Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa

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Jarrod Bowen has told Man United what they want to hear after West Ham transfer message

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West Ham star Jarrod Bowen could be on the move after the Hammers were relegated from the Premier League on Sunday

West Ham star Jarrod Bowen previously revealed he was a Manchester United fan growing up as rumours suggest he may make a move this summer. Despite the Hammers beating Leeds United 3-0 on Sunday, they were relegated after Tottenham beat Everton 1-0.

The drop to the Championship is widely predicted to inflict a £100million dent in West Ham’s revenue stream and something of a fire sale could be in the works, with Bowen possibly leading a potential exodus.

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While the forward’s deal at the London Stadium does not expire until 2030, the Guardian claimed United were pondering a move for the ex-Hull City star. In a boost to this reported interest, Bowen disclosed in June 2022 that he was a fan of United and primarily club legend David Beckham.

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On Sky Sports, Bowen was shown a photo of himself as a youngster, with his face painted with the St George’s flag. He was sporting Beckham’s famous No. 7 England shirt.

He said: “I followed Manchester United a bit growing up, as well, but I think I more followed him because I thought he was cool. Him growing up, me supporting Manchester United, trying to copy him with that picture and, as soon as I got sent it, I knew it was going out.”

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The 29-year-old has scored 85 goals since joining West Ham in 2020 and would no doubt be an appealing option for Michael Carrick. Whilst the player could make a swift exit from the Irons, his post-match comments following his side’s relegation suggest he could stay for the duration of the club’s spell in the Championship.

He said: “I’m under contract here. I’ve been here six and a half years. I’ve had some really high moments and this is a low moment that will outweigh everything.

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“There’s going to be rumours, there’s going to be talk. Ultimately, what I see is getting this club back in the Premier League because that is where it deserves to be.”

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He later reinforced the message by taking to Instagram, although he did stop short of committing his future to West Ham. He wrote: “It’s hard to post something like this when all you’re feeling is embarrassment and pain.

“I could write loads trying to explain where it all went wrong this season, but honestly what you deserve from me is an apology. Winning that trophy [Europa Conference League, 2023] in Prague was the best night of my career. Sunday was the worst.

“We just weren’t good enough. Simple as that. And that’s why the season ended the way it did. To the fans, you didn’t let us down once.

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“The support home and away never changed, even when things weren’t good enough from us on the pitch. We should have given you more. You deserved more.

“One thing I know about this club is that it has the desire and fight to bounce back from this. This club belongs in the Premier League and deserves to be back there as soon as possible.”

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

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Mitch Marner credits parents for withstanding “dark moments” in Toronto, minutes after reaching career-first Stanley Cup Final

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Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner shared his thoughts after clinching the Stanley Cup Final berth for the first time in his career.

That became certain after the Golden Knights completed a shocking 4-0 series sweep over the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche, capping a 2-1 win in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final on Tuesday.

Marner, who joined the Golden Knights last summer, is having his best career playoffs with Vegas. However, reaching this level was not easy for Marner, as he had some dark moments in Toronto, where he was heavily scrutinized for his lack of postseason production. The criticism has now largely vanished.

After the game, Marner credited his family for always standing by him during the tough times he had in Toronto:

“It was a special moment. There’s been some dark times in hockey for myself honestly… I’m thankful for my family. That was a moment to just express some joy and fun,” Marner said.

When asked about who he wanted to share this victory with, Mitch Marner credited his parents and his wife:

“Obviously my parents. There have been some dark moments in my hockey career, really — some tough moments that my parents have been beside me for. My wife’s been beside me too. It’s never a one man battle, all my teammates that I have had, it’s been a great road and hopefully this road keeps going”. he added.

Mitch Marner on pace to win Conn Smythe as the playoff MVP

Despite not winning anything major in Toronto, Mitch Marner could end up winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, along with the Stanley Cup, with the Golden Knights. He leads the postseason with 21 points (seven goals and 14 assists).

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For the Golden Knights, it will be their third Stanley Cup Final appearance in their brief history. They have won the Cup in 2023. They’ll be up against the winner of the Eastern Conference Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens.

After going down 1-0 in the series, the Hurricanes have bounced back with back-to-back overtime wins in Games 2 and 3. Game 4 takes place on Wednesday.

Also Read: Avs fans dejected as Avalanche shockingly get swept by Golden Knights to end dominant season