Three original misfits, three Stanley Cup Final appearances, and now three wins away from becoming just the fourth franchise in the NHL’s expansion era to capture multiple Stanley Cups prior to its 10th season.
The longest-tenured Vegas Golden Knights, Shea Theodore, Brayden McNabb, and William Karlsson were key to dragging them back into the fight Monday night.
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Down 2-0 and wobbling, Vegas was searching for a spark, and Theodore lit it up with a point-shot one-timer at 13:28 of the first period. His three-point performance (1G, 2A) extended his total to 14 postseason points (5G, 9A). During the regular season, Theodore racked up 39 points in 70 games and logged nearly 23 minutes a night. The 30-year-old is now part of the first defensive pair in Stanley Cup Final history to have both partners record three points in a Game 1.
Who’s the other half of that defensive pair? McNabb. Known more for bruising, McNabb delivered a career-first three assists and a game-high +3 rating. Each touch? Simple, efficient, and perfectly timed. A tap to Theodore, a keep-in that extended the shift leading to Karlsson, and a pass that started the sequence for Brett Howden’s third-period tip-in helped define the game. In the regular season, with about 20 minutes of ice time a night, McNabb had 12 points over 63 games.
And then there was Karlsson. A heartbeat that is felt across the team and the community, his second-period strike, finishing off Mitch Marner’s backhand feed gave Vegas its first lead of the night and marked his first go-ahead goal of the postseason. Despite an injury-shortened regular season, he had seven points over 14 games, while creating efficiency during the initial playoff push with five points over 10 games. He’s been smart and opportunistic, two things the team needed to create a pivot point.
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Together, the three combined for seven points, a +6 rating, and were on the ice for four of Vegas’ five goals. Nine years after the expansion draft these misfits are not too shabby – not too shabby at all.
Jun 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) celebrates scoring with teammates during the first period against the Carolina Hurricanes in game one of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
