Marchessault: 'We showed the world we earned the right to be here'

Jonathan Marchessault says his Vegas Golden Knights proved Monday night that they deserve to be playing in the Western Conference Final.

"I think we showed the world we earned the right to be here," the forward told reporters after scoring twice in a 3-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets that knotted the series at one game apiece.

Marchessault and his fellow castoffs earned a road split of the first two games, and in doing so, temporarily stole home-ice advantage from the Jets with the series headed to Nevada for the next two.

The 27-year-old emphasized how the players have come together and rallied around the fact that they were all rejected by their former organizations.

"We're just a bunch of hockey players that wanted to find a home, and we did," he said, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. "This has been awesome."

Marchessault tied the NHL record for points in a single postseason by a player on an expansion team Monday night, matching Bill Goldsworthy's mark of 15 set in 1968 with the Minnesota North Stars.

The Golden Knights star has six goals and nine assists in 12 playoff games this spring.

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