Think playoff savior Adin Hill came out of nowhere? You haven’t been paying attention
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Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter
LAS VEGAS — Adin Hill has won eight games in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs after winning 16 games in the entire regular season. In the span of a year, he’s gone from playing for a lottery team to being three victories away from winning the Stanley Cup.
More people watch his games at T-Mobile Arena than the amount of residents who live in his hometown of Comox, British Columbia. He plays goalie in a city in which their initial exposure to that position was a future Hall of Famer who set the standard by which all followers have been judged — for a franchise that’s just six years old.
Oh, and he never had any previous Stanley Cup playoff experience until his first game a month ago.
Championship teams all have defining traits. And if this is the year the Vegas Golden Knights capture their first-ever Stanley Cup, among those traits is their ability to find answers to colossal problems.
Hill just happens to be one of those answers. But it’s not like what he’s doing is anything new; he’s been that way all season. He was one of the answers for the question of how the Golden Knights would fare in net once Robin Lehner had an offseason hip surgery that forced him to miss the regular season.
Even though Logan Thompson started the majority of the games, Hill worked in tandem with the rookie to provide Vegas with the goaltending to finish with the best record in the Western Conference. He was there when Thompson was hurt in February and again toward the end of the regular season.
He was that constant when Laurent Brossoit, who took over from Thompson, sustained an injury in the second round against the Edmonton Oilers. Hill won three of his next four starts to close out the Oilers. Hill played well enough to give the Golden Knights a chance to win every game of the Western Conference final against the Dallas Stars, a series they won in six games.
All of that is what made Hill’s accomplishments in the Golden Knights’ 5-2 victory against the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final even more monumental. Because it was more than just the Golden Knights taking a lead in the series.
Hill provided another reminder of what has made him one of the Golden Knights’ strongest performers this postseason.
“I mean, it’s unreal. It’s kind of per usual now at this point, him making those saves and kind of bailing us out,” Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore said after Game 1. “He’s had our back the second he stepped in, and we’ve been fortunate to help him on the other end.”
NICK COUSINS WAS right there. He found a spot in the coverage that allowed him to be at the net front by himself so he could be on the other end of a Matthew Tkachuk centering pass to give the Panthers what would have been a 2-1 lead.
Hill was leaning toward Tkachuk before contorting his body back toward Cousins to use every fiber and sinew of his right arm to extend his stick in a manner that allowed his paddle to stop the puck just inches from the goal line, keeping the game tied at 1-1 barely a minute into the second period.
“A Hill To Die On.” “King of the Hill.” “Hill The Thrill.” “The Save.”
Pick whatever catchy phrase you want. It amounts to Hill’s save becoming arguably the defining moment of Game 1, one of the defining moments of this year’s playoffs, and if the Golden Knights win the Cup, potentially one of the defining moments of an entire franchise.
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Adin Hill makes phenomenal stick save for the Golden Knights
Adin Hill makes a phenomenal stick save as the Golden Knights keep it even in the second period.
“We were talking about it in the room,” Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said. “That was an incredible save at a pretty important time in the game. He makes a huge save, [Alex Pietrangelo] makes an incredible defensive play right after to keep the puck out of the net, and then not long after [Shea] Theodore makes an incredible play to get us a lead.”
Brett Howden, Nicolas Roy and Zach Whitecloud were all on the bench when Hill made the save, and each of their recollections just adds to what made Hill and the stop itself even more massive for the Golden Knights.
Howden echoed what a number of players said about the save: It was the “a-ha” moment that forced the Golden Knights to confront the fact they needed to help out their netminder.
“I’ve seen it live, I saw a couple pictures of it after but to see how close it was? It was just inches away or even just [Cousins] raising the puck, it could have been in,” Howden said. “I thought it was going in and saw that it didn’t go in. I was in disbelief and then the play started coming back the other way. Right then, we kinda looked at each other and were like, ‘Alright. He’s doing everything he can. We gotta get going here.'”
You mean there were no four-letter words used at that moment?
“Uh, there probably were some words like that,” Howden smiled.
Roy had just come onto the Golden Knights bench and said he did not actually see Hill’s save when it happened. His first viewing of it was when he went back and watched on social media.
“I heard the guys stand up and cheer for Adin, but I didn’t see it until after the game,” Roy said. “It was a game-changer for sure.”
Whitecloud said everything about the moment — from Hill’s save to watching Pietrangelo clear the puck down to seeing the puck go in the air after Pietrangelo’s clearance — made him feel tense for the three or so seconds it took for everything to play out in real time.
“When you’re watching, you’re tense. When you’re out there, it’s easy because you’re not as tense,” Whitecloud explained. “When you are watching your friends and brothers out there battling — for me anyway — I get tense. I watch, almost like I am a fan! That sort of thing can turn a game. When you look at those breaks, you’re like, ‘That’s a break. That’s one we need.'”
So what did Hill, the individual who authored such a moment, have to say about everything?
“The save? It kind of played through on a little screen on a cross to Tkachuk on his [strong] side and I kinda flew across to the [strong side] and then I saw him throwing it backdoor and Cousins was there,” Hill said matter-of-factly. “I reached out with my stick and was able to track it and got a piece of it with my paddle. It felt good!”
SPEAK TO ANYONE who works for an NHL team’s in-game production staff. They’ll tell you about how everything is subject to change. Unless that subject is how the Golden Knights treat the goaltender when it comes time to do the starting lineup at T-Mobile Arena.
There have been games in which Golden Knights public address announcer Bruce Cusick can’t even be heard announcing a goalie’s name — because the applause along with the music drowns out his voice.
Plenty of teams show a graphic of the player in the starting lineup on the video board before cutting to a live feed of them on the ice as they’re being announced. But in Vegas, they have a camera that does a gradual close up on the goalies that both creates an imposing figure, while also underscoring the importance that being “the starting goalie for the Vegas Golden Knights” means something substantial to many people.
There will be a time when this particular piece of the Golden Knights’ dynamic changes. For now, Vegas is a market that lacks several decades of team history that fans talk about with reverence. Vegas has what it knows, and what the city knows is that anyone who wears that mask and those pads better come correct or not even come at all.
So much can be said about the impact Marc-Andre Fleury had on the franchise during his four seasons in Vegas. What Fleury did and how he did it is part of the foundation for why there is such a passion about who plays in net for the Golden Knights.
“Honestly, it’s a little bit of pressure but it’s also really exciting for these guys because you could hear it yesterday when they named him and how loud it was,” Roy said of Hill. “It’s been unreal. I think every goalie who comes through this organization has had a real good time. You look at Flower. I think he was basically almost a God here.”
Nobody can say for certain what Hill’s impact will be whenever he does move on from the Golden Knights — he’s a pending unrestricted free agent, by the way. During this playoff run, his popularity continues to surge. Hill didn’t just receive a loud ovation when the starting lineups were read before Game 1: Hill received the loudest ovation of anyone, and that includes fan favorites like William Carrier and an All-Star like Pietrangelo.
There are more subtle nods too, such as when he made a save in the first period and once the play was whistled dead, the Golden Knights’ in-game production staff made the conscious decision to play the theme song from “King of the Hill.”
So why is there so much love?
He’s always been there for the team this season. He has been the same person whether he was playing or sitting. He came through when others were injured. The performances that have allowed the Golden Knights to be three wins away from winning the title that has come to define their win-at-all-costs mentality.
All of this is why the majority of the 18,432 fans who were in attendance for Game 1 screamed his name while celebrating every save he made.
It’s also why with three more wins Hill could be more than just a Golden Knight. He has a chance to possibly be king in a city that desperately wants a crown.
“He’s competed, he’s been a great teammate, he works hard, he pays attention to the details, he wants to get better,” said Whitecloud, whose stall is next to Hill’s at the team’s practice facility in Summerlin, Nev. “You’ll play for a guy like that any day of the week.”
As the defending Presidents’ Trophy winners, the New York Rangers were envisioned as a playoff team again in 2024-25. As the team on top of the league standings in early December, similar words could be written about the Minnesota Wild.
And yet, heading into Wednesday night’s matchup between the clubs (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+), nothing is certain about either team’s playoff chances after the pair has gone 8-9-3 in the past 10 games apiece.
The Wild enter the game in a playoff position, and have a 91.0% chance to make the playoffs per Stathletes. A key part of that is the team’s remaining strength of schedule; their remaining opponents have a 46.0% winning percentage, which is the second-easiest path. (Only the New Jersey Devils face a weaker slate in the final stretch.)
Compare that to the Rangers, who have a 27.3% chance, and will begin this game on the outside looking in. New York’s remaining slate is considerably more difficult; a 54.1% opponents’ winning percentage ranks as the second toughest, behind only the Detroit Red Wings.
If the Wild qualify as the first wild card, their likely first-round opponent is the Vegas Golden Knights; if they land in the second wild-card position, their likely opponent is the Winnipeg Jets. Unfortunately, Minnesota went 0-3 against both teams this season.
The Rangers’ more likely outcome as a playoff entrant is as the second wild card, which earns them a matchup against the Washington Capitals; the Caps have won all three games against New York this season. The Rangers could wind up as the first wild card, earning a matchup against the Atlantic Division champ. They went 1-2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, 0-2 against the Florida Panthers (with one more game coming up on April 14), and 0-1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning (with games coming up on April 7 and April 17).
So, the future isn’t blindingly bright in the playoffs for these teams. But all you need is a ticket in, and unexpected things can happen!
There are just over two weeks left until the season’s end on April 17, and we’ll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.
Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule
Yesterday’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Florida Panthers
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal Canadiens
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 Minnesota Wild
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 St. Louis Blues
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers
Wednesday’s games
Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).
Minnesota Wild at New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. (TNT)
Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m.
Colorado Avalanche at Chicago Blackhawks, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)
Seattle Kraken at Vancouver Canucks, 10:30 p.m.
Tuesday’s scoreboard
Washington Capitals 4, Boston Bruins 3
Montreal Canadiens 3, Florida Panthers 2 (OT)
Buffalo Sabres 5, Ottawa Senators 2
Columbus Blue Jackets 8, Nashville Predators 4
Tampa Bay Lightning 4, New York Islanders 1
St. Louis Blues 2, Detroit Red Wings 1 (OT)
Utah Hockey Club 3, Calgary Flames 1
Edmonton Oilers 3, Vegas Golden Knights 2
Anaheim Ducks 4, San Jose Sharks 3 (SO)
Los Angeles Kings 4, Winnipeg Jets 1
Expanded standings
Atlantic Division
Points: 94
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 104.1
Next game: vs. FLA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 93
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 103.1
Next game: @ OTT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 92
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 8
Points pace: 102.0
Next game: @ TOR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 84
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 93.1
Next game: vs. TB (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.8%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 87.5
Next game: vs. BOS (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 44.7%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 83.1
Next game: vs. CAR (Friday)
Playoff chances: 2.9%
Tragic number: 13
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 77.6
Next game: vs. TB (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 8
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 75.4
Next game: @ MTL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 5
Metro Division
Points: 105
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 116.4
Next game: @ CAR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 94
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 9
Points pace: 105.6
Next game: vs. WSH (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 87
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 6
Points pace: 93.9
Next game: vs. NYR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 86.5
Next game: vs. COL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 16.7%
Tragic number: 17
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 85.3
Next game: vs. MIN (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 27.3%
Tragic number: 15
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 82
Next game: vs. MIN (Friday)
Playoff chances: 8.7%
Tragic number: 12
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 77.6
Next game: @ STL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 7
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 76.6
Next game: @ MTL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 5
Central Division
Points: 106
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 7
Points pace: 115.9
Next game: @ VGK (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 102
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 113.0
Next game: vs. NSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 94
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 7
Points pace: 102.8
Next game: @ CHI (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 89
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 6
Points pace: 96.0
Next game: vs. PIT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 92.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 88
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 7
Points pace: 96.2
Next game: @ NYR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 91%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 87.5
Next game: vs. LA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.4%
Tragic number: 7
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 67.8
Next game: @ DAL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 56.5
Next game: vs. COL (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Pacific Division
Points: 98
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 108.6
Next game: vs. WPG (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 93
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 8
Points pace: 103.1
Next game: @ UTA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 91
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 100.8
Next game: @ SJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.1%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 90.9
Next game: vs. ANA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 13.9%
Tragic number: 11
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 89.8
Next game: vs. SEA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 2.7%
Tragic number: 10
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 82.0
Next game: @ CGY (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: 3
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 74.3
Next game: @ VAN (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 55.4
Next game: vs. EDM (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Note: An “x” means that the team has clinched a playoff berth. An “e” means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 26
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 26
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 32
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 26
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 26
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 26
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Greg Wyshynski
New York Islanders coach Patrick Roy said forward Anthony Duclair was “god-awful” in their loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night, and that the veteran is failing to meet expectations.
Duclair played 12 minutes, 15 seconds in the Islanders’ 4-1 loss to the Lightning with zero points and finished at minus-1. He had only four shifts in the third period. It was the third straight game in which Duclair played 12:15 or less. He has averaged 15:03 in ice time this season, his first with the Islanders.
“He was god-awful. He was god-awful. He had a bad game. That’s why I didn’t play him a lot. And he’s lucky to be in the lineup. Sorry if I lose it on him right now, but that’s how I feel,” Roy said.
When asked what he’s seeing in Duclair’s game, the Islanders coach said “it’s an effort thing” for the veteran forward.
“He’s not skating, he’s not competing, he’s not moving his feet. He’s not playing up to what we expect from him,” Roy said.
Duclair has seven goals and four assists in 44 games with the Islanders, skating to a minus-15. The 29-year-old winger is averaging one point per 60 minutes — which would be a career low for the 11-year veteran. Duclair signed a four-year, $14-million free agent contract with the Islanders last summer and has a full no-trade clause through 2026.
New York is winless in its past six games, struggling down the stretch while chasing the final wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders trail the Montreal Canadiens by five points with eight games to play.
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