It wasn’t exactly Joe Namath guaranteeing victory at the Miami Touchdown Club before Super Bowl III. But when the Golden Knights’ Jonathan Marchessault spoke his mind before Game 2 of the Western Conference Final against the Winnipeg Jets, it had the same effect that Matt Snell and George Sauer Jr. and the Jets of another ilk had on the old Baltimore Colts.
“(Monday) is definitely a must-win game,” Marchesssault said after the Knights were thoroughly outplayed 4-2 in Game 1 in the Jets’ raucous hangar. “As a group, there can’t be any excuses. Everyone needs to step up if you want to win against the best team in the league.