The Vegas Golden Knights can thank Twitter and the glove of Robin Lehner for helping to send the team to the Western Conference Final.
Lehner got the start in goal for the Golden Knights in Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinal game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Friday night. Lehner was coming off two straight losses, including allowing three goals on 22 shots in Game 6. That led some to call for Marc-Andre Fleury to get the start.
Instead, Peter DeBoer chose to stick with Lehner, and the decision paid off. Lehner stopped all 15 shots he faced for his third shutout of the series.
Lehner received praise for this incredible save to maintain a scoreless game in the second period:
The 29-year-old heard from critics before the game and thanked them for the motivation ahead of Game 7.
The Panda got the last laugh for now. The Golden Knights will face the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final, which begins on Sunday. In the East, the Tampa Bay Lightning await the winner of Game 7 between the Flyers and Islanders.
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