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Time of India
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Golden Knights eliminated, five factors behind their early exit
The Vegas Golden Knights (Credit: Getty Image) The Golden Knights entered the playoffs with momentum, a Pacific Division title, and standout individual seasons. Expectations were high. Yet after a five-game loss to Edmonton, they're left with questions, not answers. Despite solid numbers in the regular season; most goals in franchise history, a top-five offense; Vegas couldn't carry the same impact into the postseason. In the final two games, they failed to score. For a team that averaged over three goals a night, that silence spoke volumes. Key players failed to rise when stakes climbed. Jack Eichel ended the series without a goal. Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev didn't score or assist. The attack became predictable, and Edmonton's defense absorbed it with ease. The power play faded, the urgency dropped, and the finishing touch disappeared. Stars stalled as depth faded fast NHL Mic Drop: Oilers vs. Golden Knights Game 5 | Stanley Cup Playoffs Vegas needed more from its bottom six forwards, but those contributions never came. Meanwhile, Edmonton found timely goals from names beyond McDavid and Draisaitl. In tight series, depth matters. For Vegas, too many regulars vanished from the score sheet. Multiple players who shined during the season; Barbashev, Howden, Kolesar; were ineffective. The supporting cast that once added balance now added little. The Oilers exploited that. They rolled four lines and kept pressure constant. Vegas couldn't match the intensity or adjust. The top line looked isolated, and the secondary lines didn't generate enough danger. Defensive edge and crease control vanished The Vegas Golden Knights (Credit: Getty Image) Much of Vegas' 2023 Cup run leaned on heavy, physical defending. That edge was absent this time. The Golden Knights allowed too many goals from high-danger areas. Edmonton, by contrast, won key net-front battles and finished close-range chances. Goaltender Adin Hill wasn't perfect, but the breakdowns in front of him were often glaring. Defensive gaps and second-chance rebounds hurt. At the same time, Vegas rarely forced Edmonton's goalie into difficult saves. The commitment to crash the crease simply wasn't consistent enough. Winning playoff hockey comes down to detail and grit in front of both nets. Vegas lacked both when it mattered most. Wasted leads, missed chances on home ice Vegas grabbed early leads in Games 1 and 2 but couldn't hold them. Opportunities to control the series slipped away. In Game 4, they had three first-period power plays but didn't score. At home, they went winless; something that rarely happened all year. These were not isolated lapses but a pattern. Vegas struggled to finish games, extend leads, and respond when pressed. The Oilers capitalized on those gaps and never looked back. The next step requires hard questions Vegas has the pieces of a contender. But this postseason showed cracks. Whether it's a change in offensive mindset, lineup balance, or defensive toughness, adjustments are needed. Read more: Beyond the blue line, how Evan Bouchard's personal life shapes his rise in the NHL The team can't rely on past success. Winning now takes more than numbers and skill. It takes urgency, execution, and fight; qualities that disappeared just when they were needed most. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
A look at teams with NHL's back-to-back Stanley Cup champions
Stanley Cup (via Getty Images) To win the Stanley Cup once is the ultimate in professional hockey success. But to win it twice in succession? That's another level of excellence altogether. It requires a special combination of consistency, chemistry, and clutch performance to achieve it—particularly in as demanding a league as the NHL. Fewer than a handful of franchises have ever done it throughout history. These clubs did not merely win; they shaped eras and redefined what it means to be dominant in the NHL. Why repeating as champions is the ultimate NHL test NHL Mic Drop: Capitals vs. Canadiens Game 3 | Stanley Cup Playoffs In today's NHL, every season starts even. The draft, free agency, and hard salary cap are all established to keep teams even. So when a team can do it again, it's not only a reflection of their skill—it's an indication of pure, long-lasting greatness. Consider the Tampa Bay Lightning, for instance. Their championships in 2020 and 2021 were not merely a matter of superstar roster talent; they persevered through abbreviated schedules, injuries, and the peculiar psychic strain of COVID-era hockey. And by doing so, they became the first salary cap-era repeat champs since the Pittsburgh Penguins went back-to-back in 2016 and 2017. Back-to-back victories demonstrate that a team can withstand not only their adversary but also the burden of expectations, exhaustion, and time itself. The Montreal Canadiens still own the record for most consecutive championships with five in a row from 1956 through 1960—a dynasty that could never be equalled. The Islanders' four-year domination in the early '80s made Long Island the NHL's hotbed of power, and the Red Wings demonstrated across two distinct periods that fantastic culture and leadership never lose popularity. Legends who powered the greatness No championship quest is undertaken without mythical figures at the helm—on the ice and on the bench. Scotty Bowman solidified his status as the all-time greatest coach in NHL history during the 1970s. He led the Canadiens through a series of Cup championships with a system that emphasized structure, possession, and accountability. He would repeat the feat later with the Detroit Red Wings, proving his genius across generations On the ice, dynasties were defined by their stars: Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier were the foundation of the Edmonton Oilers' high-scoring team, supported by All-Star teammates Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey, and Grant Fuhr. Their firepower rewrote the NHL playbook. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang captained the Penguins' two-decade run of excellence, blending veteran experience with incessant quickness and skill. Their coach, Mike Sullivan, constructed an up-tempo forechecking system that utilized their abilities. Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, and Andrei Vasilevskiy did the heavy lifting for Tampa Bay, putting together top-shelf goaltending, blue-line solidity, and scoring depth. Head coach Jon Cooper masterfully managed egos and strategy through a two-year attrition war. These names didn't merely win championships—they defined hockey culture, redefined leadership, and set their teams up as standards for success. Back-to-back championships in the contemporary NHL: Still possible, still uncommon In the modern, speed-driven, analytics-influenced league, repeating as champions is still one of the most elusive tests. Roster turnover, injuries, and salary cap limitations nibble away at even the best teams. But as recent history has illustrated—be it from Pittsburgh's speed-based game to Tampa's methodical execution—there is indeed a blueprint for enduring success. It requires vision in the front office, high-end player development, and abiding buy-in from top to bottom. Also read: 2025 NHL playoff power rankings: Who's Primed to lift the Stanley Cup? Because ultimately, back-to-back Cup championships aren't simply trophies on a résumé—they're the telltale signature of authentic NHL greatness.
