Will new coach bump help the Golden Knights in the playoffs?

The Vegas Golden Knights won the Pacific Division title Wednesday night with a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, meaning they will face the Utah Mammoth in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

On Thursday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discuss the Golden Knights’ recent string of success since John Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy as head coach in late March, and if the “new coach bump” will help Vegas through the playoffs.

Tyler Yaremchuk: How about the fact that the Golden Knights are 7-0-1 since John Tortorella took over? Pretty impressive record and goes to show that the new coach bump really was a thing.

I guess the question now is: Will the new coach bump bleed into the playoffs for Vegas?

Carter Hutton: That’s the biggest question mark of this team. I don’t think it was ever about talent or how this team was built. Maybe it was goaltending: Is Adin Hill ever get back to what he was when they won a Stanley Cup? Can Carter Hart come back from a short season and injuries?

I think this was more a wake-up call in the sense that the room is taking care of itself. I remember Jon Cooper always talking about that, how when the Tampa Bay Lightning were winning their Stanley Cups, he was like: “Half the time I’m not even coaching. I’m just walking in, setting the tone and then leaving while letting the room set itself.”

I think a guy like John Tortorella is trying to empower the players. I think at times, what you see in the public isn’t exactly what goes on behind closed doors. With this group and this leadership, that’s what you’re seeing: this room realizing they lost their last coach, and they’re not nearly as bad as they were playing. That’s what you’re seeing right now.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…