Page 45 - Sports Illustrated Kids (October 2018)

GOLDEN KNIGHTS February, Knights forward

Ryan Reaves had a
different message. “I would

love,” he said, “to see this
team in the playoffs.”
Reaves got his wish
when Doughty turned out
KINGS to be wrong. The Knights

finished first in the Pacific,
SEAN M. HAFFEY/GETTY IMAGES (KNIGHTS-KINGS); MARK BLINCH/NHLI/GETTY IMAGES (LEAFS-LIGHTNING)
with 109 points—and drew
the first wild-card team,
McNabb in the expansion goalie Jonathan Quick the Kings.
On June 18, 2017, the Kings draft. The Saskatchewan with three goals in the A budding rivalry took
released their protection native emerged from a first 12 minutes. the next step when Vegas
list for the upcoming training camp overstuffed After the Knights also swept L.A. en route to a
expansion draft. Brayden with defensemen to make won the teams’ second Stanley Cup finals
McNabb’s name was the team. matchup in December, appearance. McNabb
not on it. Then, when McNabb Kings defenseman Drew scored the only goal in
Ten months later— played his former team in Doughty made a bold Game 4.
nearly to the day—McNabb the Knights’ 19th game of prediction: “There’s no “I have a lot of close
scored a goal that ended the season, the expansion way they are going to be a friends on that team,
L.A.’s season. team no one expected to be better team than us by the so at the end of the
What happened in good pummeled the end of the season.” day I think they’re more
between no one would traditional Pacific Division But after a chippy happy for me than angry
have predicted. The power. Vegas outshot L.A. home-and-home series at me,” McNabb said.
Golden Knights selected 40–29 and chased Kings between the teams in “I suppose.”

Since
When the 2009–10: hit free agency in Interestingly, the
Maple Leafs signed consecutive Lightning were rumored as
John Tavares this offseason, they instantly had Steven seasons. The Leafs contenders to land Tavares.
a team capable of challenging the Lightning Stamkos took a serious run Obviously neither team
for Eastern Conference supremacy. They 622 points at both players, reunited the former
also reignited a friendly rivalry that dates first trying to sign childhood teammates.
back to their new star’s childhood. John Stamkos two That’s good news for NHL
Growing up, Tavares and Tampa Bay Tavares offseasons ago fans. The Tampa Bay–
center Steven Stamkos both wore the before landing Toronto matchup, while not
number 19. When the two Ontario natives 621 points Tavares this a traditionally significant
ended up on the same summer league team, summer. Stamkos one, could become
coached by Stamkos’s dad, Tavares got to keep watched the Tavares supremely important. With
19, while Stamkos switched to 91, the number they sweepstakes with interest. another first pick, Toronto’s
both wear in the pros. Despite missing the birthday “I just said to him, Auston Matthews (near
cutoff by five days, Tavares even tried to enter the 2008 ‘Make sure you watch left), also in the mix, these
draft to challenge Stamkos as the No. 1 pick. what you do on Twitter,’” games should be the

That difference in draft years, however, meant that they Stamkos told ESPN. season’s most exciting.

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