Howden finds niche for Golden Knights in Stanley Cup Final

LAS VEGAS --Brett Howden isn't well-liked in some corners, but the forward has become adored by his teammates on the Vegas Golden Knights.

The 25-year-old, energy-bringing, versatile forward has had his fingerprints all over the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, just like he has throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Vegas leads the best-of-7 series, 2-0. Game 3 is at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; TNT, TBS, truTV, CBC, SN, TVAS).

In Game 1, Howden had an assist and provided a screen on Shea Theodore's goal in the second period of a 5-2 win. In Game 2, he scored two goals in a 7-2 victory, including a highlight-reel backhanded tuck around goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

For Howden, it is usually not the bold, attention-grabbing plays that are the staple of his game. That is left to forwards Mark Stone, Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault, among others.

There no longer is much swagger in Howden's game. He is a north-south player who is comfortable in the aforementioned corners and at the front of the opposing goalie, areas where incivility is not only accepted, but required.

It is a recipe for success in the playoffs, where straight lines and truculence are highly valued commodities.

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The transformation for Howden began three seasons earlier during an uncomfortable conversation with David Quinn, his coach while playing for the New York Rangers.

"Do I ever remember that conversation," Howden said, laughing. "For me, it was a big wake-up call. It's not a conversation you want to hear, but for me, it was the best thing he probably could have done. He really, really woke me up and made me realize what I have to do to be able to stay in this league and to be an effective player in this league."

Howden was not playing up to his potential. The first-round pick (No. 27) of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2016 NHL Draft was with his second organization after New York acquired him in the trade that sent defenseman Ryan McDonagh and forward J.T. Miller to Tampa Bay on Feb. 26, 2018.

He said he was a bit lost, his confidence shaken.

"I asked him if he wanted to be like or respected," said Quinn, now coach of the San Jose Sharks. "I told him I don't want people tapping your shin pads. I want them in your face."

The liked-or-respected conundrum seems a no-brainer, but it wasn't as easy as it seems for Howden, who was thrown to the NHL wolves early.

The native of Oakbank, Manitoba, was 20, and had yet to play an NHL game. He was viewed as crucial to accelerating a painful rebuild for the Rangers and trying to find his way in New York City. It didn't work that way. He was traded to Vegas on July 17, 2021, for defenseman Nick DeSimone and a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Howden wasn't ready. He can admit it now.

"It was so overwhelming; it was such a culture shock," he said. "I mean, I'm from a small town in Manitoba, played for Moose Jaw (of the Western Hockey League), another small town, and then, boom, right into the big city, so it was it was a pretty, pretty crazy experience."

Howden wanted to fit in. He didn't want to be a problem. He was polite off the ice, but too polite on it.

"I didn't want to come in and try showboating and, you know, being an idiot on ice," Howden said, "but then again, you have to find that balance where you respect other players but want to be respected as well. It took a couple of years for me to learn."

Learn he did.

"He's a hard-nosed guy that can make plays, shoot the puck and be physical," Vegas forward Chandler Stephenson said. "When he's doing that, kind of wheeling around and being a little pest on that side of it, I think that's when he's most effective."

Howden plays on one of the top two lines for the Golden Knights, riding shotgun for Stephenson, the NHL All-Star center, and Stone, their captain. He had 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 54 regular-season games and has nine points (five goals, four assists) in 19 playoff games.

"I've liked his accountability, his physicality, " Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "He hasn't changed, whether he's scoring or not or if the puck is finding him. He's still a big part of the penalty kill. We know he's comfortable in the 200-foot game."

Howden is no longer adrift in the Big Apple. Instead, he has taken up residency in Sin City, is liked by his teammates and trusted by his coaches.

He has become the player Quinn believed he could be.

And he is two wins from the Stanley Cup.