1 telling statistic of the Vegas Golden Knights playoff success

Game 1 might've been a closer contest than anticipated. The Minnesota Wild played a tighter game thanks to Matt Boldy and his two goals. However, a late tripping penalty on Boldy against William Karlsson did the Wild in.

The Vegas Golden Knights go on the power play and get a late power play, empty-net goal from Brett Howden, sealing Game 1 on Sunday. It's business as usual, guys. The Golden Knights took care of another playoff team en route to another Stanley Cup.

Historically, winning Game 1 has served Vegas nicely. They were 10-6 entering Sunday's game, having won their last four opening matches. That included three straight series from the 2023 Stanley Cup run, where they defeated the Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, and Dallas Stars.

You can make that 11-6 for the Golden Knights now after Sunday's big win over the Wild. That would also be five straight for Vegas, who've suddenly mastered the art of getting off on the right foot. On top of that, Bruce Cassidy is 13-4 all-time in Game 1's during his career.

Sure, you might say it doesn't matter as much, considering Vegas is 4-2 after a Game 1 loss. But there's more to having deep playoff success than simply winning the first game. It also gets your team going for the long run, as proven in 2023. That team took the opening game in the last three series, leading them to the franchise's first Stanley Cup.

What winning Game 1 means for the Vegas Golden Knights

Let's look back at the 2023 Stanley Cup run for a second, starting with the Edmonton Oilers series. Game 1 in that series was a 6-4 barnburner victory over Connor McDavid and company. Ivan Barbashev had two goals in that game, including one of two goals in under a minute in the third period.

That game was paramount to getting off on the right foot, considering the circumstances. Losing to McDavid and Draisaitl in the first match? That would've ended in disaster, even in home-ice advantage (nowadays, not as much). They were considered to be the main competitor for Vegas in a Stanley Cup run. Mind you, Vegas won that series, 4-2.

The Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars was a much bigger indicator of Game 1 success. That contest went into overtime and was won thanks to Howden. In fact, Game 2 also went into overtime and was a Vegas Golden Knights victory. If the Golden Knights don't win both games in overtime, Pete DeBoer gets the last laugh against his former team.

Then, there's Game 1 against the Florida Panthers. I'll play the highlight and get it out of the way.

That save set the tone for the Stanley Cup Final, neutralizing an aggressive Panthers attack. The result? Fulfilled promises and the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Be sure to thank Adin Hill.

What winning Game 1 does for the Golden Knights

This argument is similar to winning the Pacific Division. You want the division because your rival has a better home record than you do (31-6-4 at Crypto.com Arena this season). However, they have a road record of 17-19-5 away from Hollywood. Compare that to the Vegas Golden Knights, who are 29-9-3 at T-Mobile Arena this season.

Winning Game 1 is not much different, either. You get off on the right foot and have control of the series. Combine that with home-ice advantage and the pressure's on the opposing team to win now. They must hold serve at home to stand a chance. Otherwise, it's over.

That's where the Minnesota Wild are heading with the Game 1 loss. The Golden Knights can put more pressure on the Wild in Game 2. That's the luxury of having an excellent regular season and a team loaded with superstars, after all. You can do what you want with your opponent after beating them in Game 1.