NHL winners, losers from Tuesday's Stanley Cup playoffs: Golden Knights sweep Avs, reach Stanley Cup Final

Stone scored the game's opening goal on a breakaway, which started with a fantastic pass from defenseman Brayden McNabb. The forward also logged three hits and posted a plus-one on 20 shifts and 15:42 of ice time.   

Golden Knights goalie Carter Hart: Hart was excellent on Tuesday night, delivering what may have been his best performance of the playoffs thus far. The goalie recorded a stellar .952 save percentage, saving 20-of-21 shots. 

Hart regained his mojo in the series against the Avalanche after struggling in the first two rounds against the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks. The goalie logged a .944 save percentage in the Western Conference Final after posting a .922 in the first two rounds of the postseason (via StatMuse). 

Shutting down the Avalanche's potent offense, which ranked first in the NHL in goals per game (3.63) during the regular season, should give Hart even more confidence heading into the Stanley Cup Final against the Montreal Canadiens or Carolina Hurricanes. 

Knights interim HC John Tortorella: What a turnaround for Tortorella. The Knights named him interim HC in March after firing Bruce Cassidy following a 32-26-16 start. The move possibly saved the season. 

The Golden Knights are 19-4-1 (7-0-1 in regular season, 12-4 in playoffs) since he assumed the role. Tortorella now has an opportunity to win his second Stanley Cup. He can also become the sixth interim HC to do so, per Josh Dubow of the Associated Press.

Losers

Avalanche goalies: The Avalanche should consider adding a top goalie, perhaps Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers, after their goaltending once again cost them another chance at winning the Stanley Cup. 

Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood proved reliable in the regular season, winning the Williams M. Jennings Trophy as the best duo in the league, but they faltered in the Western Conference Final. Wedgewood posted a below-average .877 save percentage in Games 1-3 against Vegas. 

Blackwood, meanwhile, started in Game 4 on Tuesday, allowing both Golden Knights' goals. That's unsurprising as he struggled throughout most of the postseason. Entering Tuesday night, he had posted an .872 save percentage. 

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar: Some may start pointing the finger at Bednar after yet another playoff disappointment. Since leading Colorado to the Cup in the 2021-22 season, the coach has failed to bring the team back to the championship series. 

Bednar has won the most regular-season games (445) in franchise history, but after another postseason collapse, in which the Avs blew a three-goal lead in Game 3, things may be growing stale. Colorado must consider this to avoid wasting the primes of center Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar.  

Presidents' Trophy winners: Why is this a thing? Seriously, who cares which team won the most games during the regular season, especially when such squads rarely capture the trophy that actually counts?

No Presidents' Trophy winner has hoisted the Stanley Cup since the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2012-13 season. Plus, the last three teams to win the trophy (New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets and Avalanche) failed to reach the Stanley Cup Final.