Knights look to maintain physicality in Game 2 vs. Mammoth
Vegas had a season-high 52 hits in Game 1. Look for more of the same Tuesday.
Vegas Golden Knights F Nic Dowd (26) roars after he scores the go-ahead goal against the Utah Mammoth in Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs on Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights registered a season-high 52 hits in their 4-2 win over the Utah Mammoth Sunday in Game 1 of their opening-round Stanley Cup Playoff series. But realistically, is that sustainable?
Can we expect that kind of physicality in the Knights' play in Game 2 on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena and beyond? “I think that’s the way we want to play,” said forward Keegan Kolesar, who led Vegas with nine of those 52 hits in Game 1 against the Mammoth. “I think in the playoffs, the intensity goes up and it’s part of the game.
” Defenseman Brayden McNabb, who had 110 hits during the season and two in Game 1, said the Knights are being adaptable by playing a heavy game against Utah. “We’re a big team that can play a lot of different styles,” he said. “It’s the playoffs.
It’s going to be more physical. The intensity skyrockets. ” It’s John Tortorella’s job to see to it that the intensity doesn’t reach a point where it becomes a detriment to how the team plays.