Tomas Hertl gives Golden Knights the playoff performance they envisioned: ‘He’s a horse out there’

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LAS VEGAS – Game 1 between the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild was played in the style of classic playoff hockey.

The hits came early and often as both sides rattled the boards in an attempt to establish physicality. Open ice was hard to find. Both teams checked incredibly well, limiting time and space.

It’s exactly the type of game Tomáš Hertl loves to play in.

“I always try to play my game, and I think it’s kind of a playoff style,” Hertl said through his trademark grin following the Golden Knights’ 4-2 victory on Sunday night. “I’m happy I could help the team today.”

Vegas took a 1-0 series lead thanks largely to Hertl’s excellent play in all three zones. The 31-year-old center scored the game’s opening goal, and was dominant with the puck below the goal line throughout the contest.

It’s only one game, but it’s clear that both sides plan on playing a tough brand of defensive-minded hockey that makes life difficult on puck-carriers.

“I thought we played to our identity for the most part, and I thought they did,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I thought the game was as advertised. We made more plays than them in the offensive zone to secure the win, and I think you’ll see a similar game on Tuesday. I don’t think either team is going to get away from what they do well.”

Sunday’s contest featured a combined total of 83 hits, and only 47 total shots on goal. It was a slugfest, with both teams fighting to win the possession battle, and no player swung the balance in his team’s favor more than Hertl.

“He’s a big man who protects the puck, and that’s his game,” Cassidy said. “He’s hard to get the puck from once he gets cycling.”

Hertl uses his 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame to shield defenders from the puck along the walls. He’s able to outmuscle the opposition to work his way into dangerous areas of the ice, and buy precious extra seconds for himself and teammates.

“I’ve played against him and it’s not fun,” Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. “It’s exhausting. That’s a big man that can make plays and shoot the puck. You just look at that first goal.”

Hertl opened the scoring late in the first period with a brilliant individual play. First, he won an offensive-zone faceoff back to his teammates and immediately charged to the front of the net. The shot from the point didn’t make it through the traffic and fell right onto the stick of Wild defenseman Brock Faber.

Hertl swooped in behind Faber, lifted his stick and spun his body around to protect it for himself. Before the Wild defense could react, Hertl fired a perfectly placed snap shot over the shoulder of Minnesota goalie Filip Gustavsson and into the top corner of the net.

“I just tried to get (the puck) up quickly,” Hertl said. “There was a little space and I’m happy it got in. It’s one of those shots that you can shoot maybe five times and it doesn’t go in, but this time it went in the net.”

Then, with the score tied 1-1 in the middle of the second period, Hertl made yet another great play to help Vegas reclaim the lead. It started with another faceoff win in the Minnesota zone, followed by a charge to the front of the net.

Once there, Hertl screened Gustavsson while Shea Theodore made an incredible shot fake at the point and found Pavel Dorofeyev for a one-timer on the backside of the play. The combination of Theodore’s fake and Hertl disrupting Gustavsson’s vision led to Dorofeyev having a wide-open net to fire the puck into.

“It was a real good play by Hertl all around,” Cassidy said. “He wins the draw, picks, releases and screens the goalie. Good for him. He’s done that a number of times this year to open up plays for the guys.”

The line of Hertl, Dorofeyev and Brandon Saad was Vegas’ best in Game 1. In 11 minutes of even-strength ice time, they held strong advantages in shot attempts (19-6), shots on goal (6-3), scoring chances (7-0) and goals (1-0).

“I’ve played against him for years, and you know how good he is, but you really, truly come to respect him when you play with him,” Saad said. “Just to see how he can hold onto pucks, protect it and make plays. He’s a horse out there. He’s been fun to play with.”

Hertl was equally effective in the defensive zone.

“He’s really smart communication-wise, which makes it easy for us,” Pietrangelo said. “There are a lot of things he does in the defensive zone that he does and you can’t see, but we can hear him directing where he wants the puck to go. That’s just a veteran player who knows how to use his hockey knowledge and help everybody.”

This is the exact performance the Golden Knights had in mind when they traded for Hertl at last year’s deadline. It was a risk taking on a 31-year-old coming off knee surgery with six years still left on his contract, but he is the exact style of player this already-talented team was missing. He’s the type of forward who can thrive in tight-checking situations and bully his way to goals when offense is hard to come by.

The initial return on the trade wasn’t great in 2023-24. Joining a new team for the first time in his career and recovering from a knee surgery, Hertl wasn’t himself in his first postseason for the Golden Knights. He looked sluggish on the ice, scored only one goal and had a minus-6 rating in the seven-game first-round loss to the Dallas Stars.

He didn’t look like his usual self on the ice. He also wasn’t himself off it, as the frustration was visible on his face throughout.

Now, after a full season on his new club, Hertl’s strong possession game is back, as is his contagious smile.

“I always like the playoffs,” Hertl said. “Last year was kind of different, coming to a new team and not fully healthy, but I’ve been excited for this moment for a long time.”

Hertl could be Vegas’ most valuable player in a series against the Wild that figures to remain just as physical as it goes on.

“Both teams play disciplined when they don’t have the puck, and there’s a commitment to check the right way,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “When you play against that style of team, unless there’s a major breakdown, it’s hard to get any easy ice. Coming into the series, we knew that was going to be part of it, and I think tonight it played that way.”

The Golden Knights have plenty of skill to score in transition if the game opens up. Jack Eichel and Mark Stone were held relatively quiet in Game 1, but if the opposing defense lapses, they can strike at any moment.

Until then, Vegas will lean heavily on Hertl — the heavy, skillful power forward whom they acquired for moments exactly like this.

(Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie / Imagn Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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