By constantly finding a way, the Vegas Golden Knights are on their way back to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in nine years of existence. And they did it by beating one of the greatest regular-season teams in NHL history.

The Golden Knights bested the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Tuesday night to complete a four-game sweep of the Western Conference finals, under a coach who joined the team barely two months ago.

“After spending a couple of weeks with the team, you can tell it’s a really good group,” said John Tortorella, who was hired on March 30. “I’m thrilled for the opportunity. Thrilled to be along for the ride with them. I consider the first three rounds the playoffs. The last round, that’s when you play for the Stanley Cup. We have an opportunity to play for the Stanley Cup now. I’m proud of the guys.”

Entering a Game 4 with a chance to sweep usually means one team has dominated the other in practically every offensive category. That happened with the Golden Knights and Avalanche. Except it was the Avs that held the edge in high-danger chances, shots, shot attempts, shot-share and scoring chances in 5-on-5 play.

Yet it was the Golden Knights that had the advantage in terms of goals scored and series wins.

Captain Mark Stone scored for the second time in two games to give Vegas a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period. Stone was on the receiving end of a diagonal, cross-ice pass from Brayden McNabb that allowed the veteran winger to get behind the Avalanche’s defense for a breakaway before beating Mackenzie Blackwood with 16:18 remaining.

“I see my opportunities, and when I have an opportunity, I got a little bit in there to go,” said Stone, who has often heard remarks about his foot speed. “That was an opportunity to do it. I’m not winning a ton of races, but I think I can create angles to get into those positions. Probably why I’ve got quite a few breakaways in my career.”

Vegas taking a 1-0 lead meant it was going to face an expected onslaught of shots from a Colorado roster that finished the regular season leading the NHL in goals per game, with 10 players who scored more than 10 goals.

But that expected onslaught never arrived. The Avs were held to 21 shots, with eight of those coming in the first period. That lack of shots was compounded by the fact they had as many high-danger chances in the game (six) as the Golden Knights had in the first period.

Colorado was already facing quite a few challenges. The Avs lost a one-goal lead in Game 2 before blowing a three-goal lead in a Game 3 that saw star center Nathan MacKinnon and top-six two-way winger Valeri Nichushkin both get injured. MacKinnon played Tuesday, Nichushkin did not.

What the Avs encountered against the Golden Knights didn’t make things any easier. Vegas had a 58.62% shot-share in 5-on-5, meaning they forced Colorado to chase. The Avalanche went on the power play once and failed to score while Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart had what appeared to be his least hectic night in front of the net.

Hart, who faced more than 30 shots in each of the first three games, stopped 25 of 26 shots.

By the time the Avalanche scored, the Golden Knights already had a 2-0 lead. Cole Smith, whom they acquired at the deadline, scored the eventual game-winning goal with a little more than five minutes left.

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog cut the lead to 2-1 with a little more than two minutes left after they pulled Blackwood for a 6-on-5. The Avs would pull Blackwood again for the final 90 seconds, only to be left struggling to find a clear shooting lane.

“We checked our ass off. That’s what stands out to me. That’s how you win in this league, is by checking,” Tortorella said. “When I say checking, not body checking. But checking, being above the puck, winning the battles, gaps. Checking is the heading and there’s probably 30 things you could talk [about] underneath that heading. By far, our best game.”

Establishing a consistent connection with their defensive structure and goaltending was a season-long issue for the Golden Knights. They ranked in the top three in scoring chances and high-danger scoring chances allowed while being seventh in shots allowed. However, they were 31st when it came to team save percentage.

That’s what led to Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon firing Bruce Cassidy, who guided them to the Stanley Cup in 2023, and replacing him with Tortorella.

Bringing in Tortorella, who won a Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, came with the intent he could find solutions. He went 7-1 in the regular season with Hart, whom he coached with the Philadelphia Flyers, winning six times.

How it would translate into the playoffs was still a question. The Golden Knights went down 2-1 in their first-round series against the Utah Mammoth before winning in six, with two of those games being decided in overtime. They faced the Anaheim Ducks in the second round and were tied at 2-2 before averaging four goals per game to win the final two of the series.

The blueprint the Golden Knights used to win those series was by having an efficient attack that didn’t need the puck to score goals. They were blocking shots, eliminating passing lanes and allowing Hart to find consistency.

It also didn’t hurt that Pavel Dorofeyev, Jack Eichel, Brett Howden and Mitch Marner emerged as four of the most dangerous offensive threats this postseason, while also getting contributions from their supporting cast.

Enter the Avalanche. They finished with the NHL’s best regular-season record while playing in a Central Division that had three of the top seven teams in terms of points between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild. The Avs finished with 121 points, tied for the ninth most in a single season, according to the NHL.

Sweeping the Los Angeles Kings in the first round and beating the Wild in five games only enhanced the prevailing thought that the Avalanche could be the stronger of the two teams when the conference finals arrived.

Instead? It was the Golden Knights that flexed their collective strength in a way that will leave the Avalanche searching for answers throughout the offseason.

Now that the conference finals are over, the Golden Knights will await the winner of the Eastern Conference finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens. The Hurricanes are up 2-1 after winning Games 2 and 3 in overtime.

“You’re going to face adversity throughout a season,” Eichel said. “You play 82 games. You start in the middle of September with training camp. Everything’s not going to be perfect and I think it just goes to show the character of the guys in the room. We care for each other. I think that goes a long way.”