Vegas defeated Colorado 2-1 in Game 4 to complete a four-game sweep of the Western Conference Finals. Mark Stone opened the scoring on a first-period breakaway at 4:42, Cole Smith buried the series-clinching goal with 5:45 remaining in the third, and Carter Hart stopped 20 of 21 shots. The Golden Knights advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
Knight of the Night
Cole Smith
Scored the game-winning and series-clinching goal with 5:45 remaining, a fourth-line strike that swept the Presidents' Trophy winners.
How Stone Set the Tone and the Bottom Six Finished It
Mark Stone put Vegas ahead at 4:42 of the first period, taking a Brayden McNabb stretch pass in stride and beating Mackenzie Blackwood on a breakaway. What followed was the Golden Knights' most complete checking performance of the postseason. Neutral-zone gaps tightened to a blade's width. Colorado's rush offense found no oxygen. For 57 minutes of game clock, the Avalanche generated nothing that beat Carter Hart. Cole Smith doubled the lead with 5:45 remaining in the third, redirecting a Dylan Coghlan point shot for the 2-0 cushion. Gabriel Landeskog answered on a net-front scramble with 2:03 remaining, but Hart and the defensive structure held through the final 123 seconds. One sweep, one ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.
Key Players
Cole Smith
1G 0A 2SOG 3hits — Smith redirected a Dylan Coghlan point shot for the game-winning and series-clinching goal with 5:45 remaining in the third period, a fourth-line finish that completed the sweep.
Mark Stone
1G 0A 2SOG 3hits — Stone took a Brayden McNabb stretch pass in stride and beat Mackenzie Blackwood on a breakaway at 4:42 of the first period, giving Vegas a 1-0 lead and forcing Colorado to chase from the opening frame.
Carter Hart
20 saves, .952 SV% — Hart stopped 20 of 21 shots, holding Colorado scoreless for 57 minutes before Landeskog's late tally, his .952 save percentage anchoring the most complete checking effort of the postseason.
Dylan Coghlan
0G 1A 1SOG — Coghlan threaded the primary assist on Smith's series-clincher through traffic from the point, capping 13:08 of poised hockey from the third-pair defenseman.
Tortorella on Checking, Depth, and the Cup Final
Tortorella deflected credit to his players, calling coaches 'guidance counselors' whose job is removing obstacles so the group can play. He praised the fourth line of Smith, Dowd, and Coghlan for refusing to be intimidated by Colorado's speed and singled out the checking detail — gaps, sticks, body position above the puck — as the best 60-minute effort of the postseason. Stone emphasized neutral-zone discipline against the Avalanche's high-end talent, noting that taking away time and space at the blue line prevented sustained ozone possession. After the sweep clinched the Cup Final berth, the room celebrated but no one touched the Clarence Campbell Bowl. The captain confirmed the tradition is non-negotiable: four more wins is the only goal.
I'm happy for Smitty. I was going to kill him. He's taken so many penalties, but I'm happy for him.
Playoff Journey: Three Rounds, One Sweep
Vegas defeated Utah 4-2 in the first round and Anaheim 4-2 in the second round. The Golden Knights then swept the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche 4-0 in the Western Conference Finals, outscoring them 14-6 across the four games including a 5-3 comeback from a 3-0 deficit in Game 3. Vegas advances to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in three seasons.
The Stanley Cup Final Awaits
- Stanley Cup Final Game 1: Opponent, date, and time TBD