ST. PAUL, Minn. — Adin Hill was like most of his Golden Knights teammates in this best-of-seven playoff series against Minnesota.
As things moved deeper into the series, Hill raised his level of play.
Not a shock, of course.
This is his time of year.
When things matter most.
When the difference between a save here or there could mean playing on or going home for the summer.
Hill was superb in net for the Knights on Thursday night and a major reason why his team beat the Wild 3-2 and clinched this first-round series in six games at the Xcel Energy Center.
Hill is now 4-0 all-time for the Knights in Game 6s.
He just seems to come up big in the heftiest of moments.
“The bigger the spotlight, the more fun it is to play,” Hill said. “The building was going tonight. It’s fun to play on the road in a playoff game with that kind of atmosphere. I thought our guys brought it tonight, and we got the job done.
“A tough series. They weren’t always getting a ton of shots. They’d go 10, 12 minutes without a shot and then get a two-on-one. I just had to remember what I’ve done in the past and get back to my game. Keep it simple. I felt like the last few games I got better.”
Replaced in Game 3
He did. Remember, Hill was replaced in Game 3 after two periods by backup Akira Schmid. It was a game the Wild would win and take a 2-1 advantage in the series.
But just like with the team’s top line and best skaters, Hill found himself. His game returned to form.
He thrived in the most thrilling of moments Thursday, when the Wild continued to send bodies to the net in hopes of scoring through traffic.
It can be difficult for any goalie. Minnesota has guys willing to get inside and others who screen while Hill’s teammates are there to block shots. It can all create a sort of double screen.
But it’s also the sort of style, Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said, that brings out the best in Hill.
“He was excellent,” Cassidy said. “The types of chances we give up dictates Adin’s results. He’s really good fighting through that traffic and boxing out and finding pucks. He’s a big guy in there and pretty solid on his feet. He’s good with all that stuff going on.
“These are the games, the moments, he has been good for us. These crunch-time games. Hopefully, that continues. That has been his playoff resume so far. We’d like to keep it going.”
Of his 29 saves Thursday, a few were of the did-you-see-that variety. One came in the first period, when it was sure that Minnesota forward Marcus Foligno was about to put the Wild on the scoreboard.
But he was denied when Hill stuck out his pad at the last second.
“A weird play,” Hill said. “I knew Foligno was there. The pass was sent there. I thought (Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin) blocked the pass, but it still got there somehow. Just a desperation reach with my leg.”
Must be good
You can’t overstate how important he is. The goalie who was thrust into a playoff picture two years ago and helped lead the Knights to a Stanley Cup championship must be good for this recent run to continue. He can’t have a bad series.
The goalie who in March signed a six-year contract extension worth $37.5 million remains as significant a piece as there is to the Knights’ puzzle.
“He was awesome tonight,” defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “It was great to see. It’s not an easy job for him back there . He made a lot of great saves around the crease and bailed us out when we needed him to. You need great goaltending to move on in a series. We’re really happy to have him.”
This is Hill’s time of year. When things matter most.
Yep. The bigger the spotlight …
Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at [email protected]. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.
