Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner (93) skates with the puck as Colorado Avalanche right wing Logan O'Connor (25) defends during the second period in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Las Vegas.
Mark Stone and Cole Smith scored for Vegas and the Golden Knights suffocated Colorado’s high-powered offense to beat the Avalanche 2-1 on Tuesday night and for an unthinkable sweep to make their third Stanley Cup Final in nine seasons. The Golden Knights will get a break while they watch to see whether Carolina or Montreal emerge from the Eastern Conference Final. This is a crushing end for an Avalanche team that won the Presidents’ Trophy and had blown through the playoffs with an 8-1 record. Chicago in 2013 was the last team to claim the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season.