(Las Vegas) Not everyone likes to talk about their own weight, but the Vegas Golden Knights defensemen obviously do.
This was also a bit of the theme of this little Sunday in the camp of Vegas players: we talked about weight.
It was ironic, too: while at the back of the room, Golden Knights employees busied themselves preparing a hearty buffet that was sure to cause members of the media to gain weight, too much in In this case, the Golden Knights players praised the size of their defense.
“We know the Panthers are going to come at us [Monday evening], but our size will allow us to deal with that,” said Alex Pietrangelo, himself a member of this beefy defense.
If there’s a place where weight gain is a very good thing, it’s probably on NHL ice, especially in the playoffs, where no one is in the lace.
William Carrier noticed it too.
“At one point I saw a guy from the Panthers trying to get around [Brayden] McNabb,” he explained. But McNabb has such a long stick that it’s not easy… In this league, you have 5’10 defensemen, you have 6’6 defensemen, and if you give me the choice, I’ll choose to play against the 5’10” defender anytime! »
The McNabb referred to here is one of the big guys on the blue line of the Golden Knights, though this one isn’t even the biggest guy; this title goes rather to his teammate Nicolas Hague, from the height of his 6’6″ and 230 lbs. The group is completed by Messrs. Pietrangelo (215 lbs), Martinez (210 lbs), Whitecloud (207 lbs) as well as Shea Theodore, the small format of the group, at only 197 lbs.
All that mass is a marked advantage right now, according to Pietrangelo.
“We saw it in the first game, our defenders can also contribute in attack. So in my eyes, it is this combination of size and this skate that allows us to be as effective as we are, both in our territory and in opposing territory. »
Pietrangelo is not wrong; in the first game of this final, Saturday night in Las Vegas, two goals were scored by Golden Knights defenders, including the victory, managed by Zach Whitecloud.
Everyone has noticed that the Panthers don’t hate rough play and rififi in all its forms, but maybe this time such strategies will prove less effective.
In any case, that’s what Pietrangelo believes. And hope.
“I would say we are used to it,” concluded the defender. In previous rounds, the Dallas Stars players tried to play like that, the Winnipeg Jets players did too. We expect it, and we know that we have to move the puck against a team that is aggressive like the Panthers. »