Hertl eager for home playoff debut with Golden Knights in Game 3

LAS VEGAS -- Tomas Hertl can’t wait.

For the first time as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, the center will skate through the golden helmet at T-Mobile Arena in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, smoke rising, lights flashing, crowd roaring, “John Wick Mode” thumping from the loudspeakers.

The Golden Knights will host the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round on Saturday (10:30 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, MAX, truTV, TBS, BSSW, SN360, SN, TVAS), leading the best-of-7 series 2-0.

“When you score and the crowd gets into it, they’re really, really loud here,” Hertl said. “It’ll be a lot of fun to play on the good side now.”

Hertl used to be one of the bad guys around here, of course. He played for the San Jose Sharks from 2013-14 until the Golden Knights acquired him in a trade March 8.

Vegas and San Jose became rivals after the Golden Knights joined the NHL as an expansion team in 2017-18, meeting in the playoffs twice. Vegas won in six games in the second round in 2017-18. San Jose won in seven in the first round in 2018-19.

The last time he appeared in the playoffs at T-Mobile Arena, Hertl scored a short-handed goal 11:17 into the second overtime to give the Sharks a 2-1 win in Game 6 of the first round on April 21, 2019.

He took a pass at center ice and skated side by side with defenseman Shea Theodore, with Golden Knights forward Mark Stone trailing. As Theodore stretched out his stick, Hertl fired from the top of the left circle.

A short-handed goal decided a multiple-overtime game for the first time in NHL history.

“I always try to get my stick on pucks and try to deflect as much as I can away from the net, and that one, it didn’t [work],” Theodore said. “He’s scored some big-time goals in his career, and it’s good to have him on our side.”

Hertl smiled at the memory.

“It’s five years now,” Hertl said. “It’s a long time ago. It was a fun game for me, definitely. But hopefully now I can score some goals on the other side.”

Hertl had 13 points (nine goals, four assists) in 13 playoff games for San Jose against Vegas, including four points (two goals, two assists) in six games at T-Mobile Arena.

He already has a goal for Vegas in the playoffs. He scored on the power play in a 4-3 win in Game 1 at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Monday, winning a face-off, deflecting a shot and banging in a rebound, giving the Golden Knights a 3-1 lead at 17:51 of the first period.

“Well, I’m a big Tommy Hertl fan,” said Pete DeBoer, who coached San Jose from 2015-20, coached Vegas from 2020-22 and is in his second season coaching Dallas. “Great, great kid. Great teammate. Great player.

“You’ve seen it. He’s built for the playoffs. He’s a big body that protects pucks, netfront presence. Great hand-eye. Great on face-offs. A lot to like. I mean, just a really, really good player, and he brings a different dimension to their group up the middle.”

DeBoer said Vegas centers Jack Eichel (6-foot-2, 203 pounds), Chandler Stephenson (6-0, 209) and William Karlsson (6-0, 190) have good size, but their strengths are speed and making plays off the rush. Hertl (6-3, 215) is bigger and has another skill set.

"This guy’s a possession, heavy, hard, netfront guy,” DeBoer said. “It’s a good balance for them.”

Hertl was recovering from knee surgery when the Golden Knights acquired him, and he came back for the final six regular-season games, with four points (two goals, two assists).

In the first two games of the playoffs, he was the center on a line with Stephenson and Stone. Stone missed the last 26 regular-season games with a lacerated spleen. Considering Hertl and Stone are returning from injuries and playing together for the first time, they still have to get up to speed and develop chemistry, at least at even strength.

“We’re going to have to be a little bit patient with that part of the game coming around,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said.

Hertl already feels at home, though.

His injury recovery helped his transition. After spending his entire NHL career in San Jose, he had time to get settled in Las Vegas. He and his wife, Aneta, have two young sons: Tobias, 3 1/2, and Theo, 1. They found a house and moved all their belongings.

As the Golden Knights skated laps slowly before practice Friday, Hertl and Stone were side by side, smiling and laughing.

“I don’t have to think during the playoffs about where to live or stay,” he said. “Family’s here. I feel pretty comfortable. Guys welcome me really well. Organization did anything I needed.

“I just play eight games for this team. At the same time, I feel like I play 30, 40 games, half a season, because I’m joking around with guys, just having a good time. It’s easy to have a good time when you’re up 2-0 in a playoff series, but it feels like I’m here a little bit longer than I have.”