Despite injury, Brayden McNabb has had an excellent Stanley Cup Final
Brayden McNabb was one of the standout performers for the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Playing with a full cage after taking a puck to the face in Game 2, he finished Game 3 with two assists in more than 35 minutes of ice time, helping the home team earn a 5-4 win in double overtime over the Carolina Hurricanes and giving Vegas a 2-1 series lead.
On Monday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL video coach Steve Peters discuss McNabb’s performance and how valuable the blueliner has been for the Golden Knights.
Tyler Yaremchuk: The Vegas crowd when they announced McNabb in the starting lineup, they popped as loud as they did for any of the goals. There was an appreciation for what McNabb was going through, and not only did he play, he played 35 minutes, the second-most on the blue line. He put up two points, assisting on a big Mitch Marner goal.
Brayden McNabb got a MASSIVE roar from the Vegas crowd ahead of Game 3
Listen to this crowd pop when Brayden McNabb is introduced
McNabb wasn’t just there, he was great. He was one of their better players. When you talk about unsung heroes, guys who before this series, you weren’t exactly circling and highlighting, McNabb has been that for Vegas.
Steve Peters: And you expect that in a Stanley Cup Final. You talk about “who is going to be that guy,” and for me, it’s been McNabb. You can go back to Game 1 when he gets three points, and beyond the three points, how well he played at the blue line. He kept pucks in the offensive zone, he pinched well, he defended incredibly well. He’s been one of the best defenders.
That’s what led to problems in Game 2 when he was injured; he wasn’t there for their penalty kill, and Vegas gave up two power-play goals to the Hurricanes, in times when he would have been on the ice.
He’s got five points in three games, something you wouldn’t have expected. For him to play at all in Game 3, I didn’t expect him to be in the building, because it was a vicious injury. But for him to not only play, but play exceptionally well, and to have an imprint on this game, I think he’s been one of those guys where without him, this series is shifting the other way.
You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…