Vegas Golden Knights buck trend of small D-men during Stanley Cup Final run

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Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) and Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (7) go after the puck during the second period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals, Saturday, June 10, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Alex Pietrangelo gets beaten up a lot this time of year.

The veteran Vegas Golden Knights defenseman understands the grind of a long playoff run and the toll it can take. The good news is Vegas' blue line ranges from 6-foot-1 to 6-6, the kind of size that has allowed the Golden Knights to advance to the verge of winning the Stanley Cup.

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Vegas has successfully bucked the trend of smaller defensemen by having bigger players at the position who can skate quickly and move the puck efficiently in line with modern hockey.

ā€œYou're able to take the hits and youā€™re able to withstand a little bit more physical play,ā€ Pietrangelo said. "As a group, weā€™re able to handle that, but I think we skate well enough, too, where we can get out of that. I think weā€™ve got a good balance back there of size and speed."

Pietrangelo is 6-3 and line partner Alec Martinez is two inches shorter. Nic Hague is 6-6, Zach Whitecloud and Shea Theodore 6-2, and original Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb is 6-3.

None are the dinosaurs of hockey's past who could hit but not do much else but clear the front of the net. They're still physical when they need to be.

ā€œWeā€™re not going to get pushed out of the game,ā€ Hague said. ā€œWe can hold our own winning puck battles, and we want to try to move the puck quick in transition.ā€

Fleet-footed defensemen who can swiftly move the puck up ice are the flavor of the decade in the NHL. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy had 5-9 Torey Krug with him on the Boston Bruins when they lost in the final to Pietrangelo and the Blues in 2019.

Cassidy has since learned about Pietrangelo being an all-around player and knows defensemen of various shapes and sizes can pave the way to the Cup. Vegas happens to be big and can handle the bruising.

ā€œFor right now, thatā€™s how weā€™re built and itā€™s working for us,ā€ Cassidy said. ā€œItā€™s not always the physical part. Itā€™s the length sometimes to get inside, right? Thatā€™s the system you play. Your stick length, youā€™re just getting into people when youā€™re longer and taller and heavier and wear people down.ā€

The Golden Knights haven't just worn opponents down. They've also been able to absorb the punishment that comes with a long playoff run, an important ingredient in winning.

At those times, size matters.

ā€œAll playoffs long, youā€™ve got guys who are going to come in and every check gets finished,ā€ Hague said. ā€œItā€™s a pretty physical game out there, and weā€™ll never get pushed out of it and that wonā€™t deter us from trying to do what weā€™re going to do because we can handle it.ā€

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Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


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