The Vegas Golden Knights were a picture of undelivered promise a few weeks prior to the postseason, until they fired Bruce Cassidy and put John Tortorella in charge of the team. Since then, Vegas has breathed new life into its season, carrying that momentum all the way to the playoffs.
Their Round 1 matchup against the Utah Mammoth entertained the masses, but it appears Mitch Marner decided that Game 6 would be the final nail in Utah’s coffin, scoring two goals to send the Mammoth back into hibernation for the summer.
Mitch Marner Skates Past His Maple Leafs Mark in VGK’s Game 6 Win
Playoff Mitch Marner has always been somewhat of an enigma to the NHL. In his Toronto Maple Leafs days, Marner struggled to grab the game by the horns, frequently underwhelming in elimination games where the Leafs had their backs against the wall.
Granted it wasn’t Marner alone, but as one of the highest-paid players on the team, the spotlight naturally fell on Marner to take charge. Over in Vegas, however, he appears to have embraced this role with both hands.
In Game 6 against Utah, Marner had his first goal at the 19:15 mark in the second period, driving a slap shot past Mammoth goalie Karel Vejmelka. Marner brought up his second in the power play to push Vegas’s lead to 4-1 before Cole Smith wrapped up the proceedings with an empty-net goal at 16:24 for the 5-1 finish.
All in all, Marner’s line, featuring Brett Howden and Mark Stone, was arguably VGK’s most dominant line as they controlled the ice nearly every single time.
With those two goals, Marner has already surpassed his tally of one goal in Games 5 through 7 in a playoff series in 26 games with Toronto. However, that solitary goal with the Leafs did not come in an elimination game.
MITCH MARNER’S HAVING HIMSELF A NIGHT 😱
That’s his second goal and third point in a big Game 6! #StanleyCup
🇺🇸: @espn
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet & @TVASports 2 pic.twitter.com/4nMfvOC0z4— NHL (@NHL) May 2, 2026
With three points in all against Utah in the elimination game, Marner also tied for the most points by a Golden Knights player in a series-clinching game.
Momentum’s coming at the right time for Marner.
The Vegas Golden Knights will now take on the Anaheim Ducks, who knocked out Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers in six games. Vegas enters the series as the Pacific Division’s top seed, which means they will be marginal favorites to take on a Ducks crew on the upswing.
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It remains to be seen if the Golden Knights will enjoy the same defensive stability they did over the last few games when they take on a Ducks team that wasted no time punishing every single one of the Oilers’ defensive missteps. One thing, however, is for certain. Marner is on his way to proving he’s worth the $96 million investment from the franchise.
