GAME THREAD: Golden Knights vs. Canucks — Game 7

This is it.

There’s no more what if’s. There’s no next time. There’s no tomorrow in this series.

It’s do or die.

The Vegas Golden Knights have one last chance to defeat the Vancouver Canucks, win the series and advance to the Western Conference Final.

The last two attempts proved to be unsuccessful. First, Vegas lost 2-1 in Game 5, and the Knights suffered a 4-0 defeat last night in Game 6.

All four series in this year’s second round started out at 3-1, and three of those required a Game 7, so Vegas is not alone in being unable to finish the job.

Now that their backs are truly up against the wall, the Knights have a chance to prove why they are the top seed in the Western Conference.

Thoughts of last year’s blown 3-1 series lead are in the air, but by no means should that determine the outcome of tonight’s game.

What was missing from Vegas’ performance last night was swagger.

Oh, and goals.

The latter is technically more important, but that may not happen without the former, especially given how Thatcher Demko is playing. The young netminder has stopped 90 of 91 shots over the last two games for an insane .989 save percentage. He will start Game 7.

For the Knights, it will be be Robin Lehner for the second night in a row. Lehner has lost two in a row but shut out the Canucks in two out of the first three games.

Whoever is in net will look to help the Knights advance to take on the Dallas Stars in the third round.

Projected lineups

Vegas

Max Pacioretty — Chandler Stephenson — Mark Stone
Jonathan Marchessault — William Karlsso — Reilly Smith
Nicolas Roy — Paul Stastny — Alex Tuch
William Carrier — Tomas Nosek — Ryan Reaves

Brayden McNabb — Nate Schmidt
Shea Theodore — Alec Martinez
Nick Holden — Zach Whitecloud

Lehner
Fleury

Vancouver

J.T. Miller — Elias Pettersson — Brock Boeser
Tanner Pearson — Bo Horvat — Toffoli
Antoine Roussel — Adam Gaudette — Brandon Sutter
Tyler Motte — Jay Beagle — Virtanen

Alexander Edler — Troy Stecher
Quinn Hughes — Christopher Tanev
Oscar Fantenberg — Tyler Myers

Demko
Louis Domingue