The Vegas Golden Knights are moving on to the second round of the NHL playoffs, but it wasn’t easy. After falling behind 2-1 in the series, the Knights won three straight to eliminate the Utah Mammoth in six games. They will now face the Anaheim Ducks, who dispatched the Edmonton Oilers in six games.

“We’ve been here before,” captain Mark Stone said. “We don’t have the panic maybe some teams do. We can calm ourselves pretty quickly.”

The series turned in Game 4, when the Knights rallied from a 5-2 deficit to win in overtime on Shea Theodore’s goal. Jack Eichel had three assists in that game and finished the series with nine points. Mitch Marner had two goals and an assist in the clincher, and Brett Howden scored four goals over the final three games, including the short-handed double-overtime winner in Game 5.

“I think it helps having a veteran group,” Marner said. “I think it helps that this group has been through some adversity in the past years.”

The penalty kill was outstanding, going 15-for-16 against Utah’s dangerous power play. The only goal allowed came in Game 3. The Knights killed the Mammoth’s final 11 power plays.

“That’s a very talented group out there that can shoot the puck and make plays,” coach John Tortorella said. “The penalty kill was key.”

Goaltender Carter Hart rebounded from a rough Game 3 (four goals on 12 shots) to stop 22 of 23 shots in Game 6. He finished the series with an .892 save percentage and 2.74 goals-against average, but Tortorella praised his mental toughness.

“I think Carter has the ability to put things away and move by, whether it be good or bad,” Tortorella said.

The fourth line of Nic Dowd, Cole Smith, and Colton Sissons combined for six goals and was the Knights’ most consistent unit. Sissons’ goal in Game 6 restored a two-goal lead after Utah had cut it to one.

“We played some good hockey,” Sissons said. “We were pretty darn effective and making it hard on them and getting to our forecheck.”