Vegas Golden Knights: 5 make or break showdowns in March
We are now in the final full month of the 2019-20 NHL regular-season and the Vegas Golden Knights have their own destiny in their hands.
It is crunch time in the National Hockey League and the Vegas Golden Knights can see the finishing line in sight.
There is still a lot of work to be done, of course, but after beating the Calgary Flames on Sunday night, the Golden Knights are back atop the Pacific Division with 12 games remaining.
They face a huge showdown with the Edmonton Oilers tonight, and that game really sets the tone for the month of March.
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After tonight’s contest, the Knights will have to navigate one last set of a back-to-back this month in addition to four divisional matchups.
Vegas also has crucial meetings with the Colorado Avalanche, the Dallas Stars and the Winnipeg Jets on the docket, while six of their remaining 10 games this month come away from T-Mobile Arena.
With time running out, there is little room for error for the Golden Knights who could still end up in a sticky position if they suddenly go on a slide.
This is the final opportunity to not only ensure home-ice advantage throughout the postseason, but to also build some momentum heading into the playoffs in April.
So, all in all, the month of March will be must-watch viewing for everyone connected with the Golden Knights and a lot can happen over the coming weeks.
With that in mind, we picked out the five games that could really be make or break for the Vegas Golden Knights in the month of March.
Let’s delve in…
1. Mar. 9, @ Edmonton Oilers
Tonight’s game at Rogers Arena is going to be both captivating and mouthwatering, while holding huge significance down the stretch.
After beating the Calgary Flames on Sunday, the Golden Knights are back atop the Pacific Division with 12 games remaining in the regular season.
They are two points ahead of the Oilers but have also played a game more, placing more importance on tonight’s showdown.
And, given that Edmonton looks to be the biggest challenger to Vegas for the Pacific Division, this contest really could be make or break for both teams.
Should the Golden Knights come out on top, they will start to put some distance between them and the rest of the pack.
However, if the Oilers win they will be tied for first and will still have played a game less which could prove crucial when all is said and done.
Plus, with these two teams set to meet one final time at the end of the month, expect there to be plenty of edge to tonight’s game.
It will be a real litmus test for the Golden Knights later who will need to try and put the shackles on the dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who have been on a tear in the NHL all year.
2. Mar. 12, @ Minnesota Wild
Who would have thought it?
It has been a strange year for the Minnesota Wild who, despite seemingly being on the cusp of an absolute teardown, are right in the mix for a wild-card spot.
As of today, the Wild occupy the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference and they look primed to cause a few more upsets down the stretch.
And all of this is despite the fact that they traded forward Jason Zucker to the Pittsburgh Penguins prior to the Trade Deadline, in addition to firing Head Coach Bruce Boudreau.
Granted, the Wild probably aren’t equipped to go on a long run if they do make the playoffs, but then again stranger things have happened.
However, whatever does eventually unfold, this has been quite some story by Minnesota who is 35-27-7 this year.
They have been helped thanks to some heroics by Kevin Fiala who is on an absolute tear right now, having recently carved out a six-game point streak, and the forward leads the Wild in points with 54 (23 goals, 31 assists).
With the regular season coming to a thrilling finale, the Wild will need to really keep up their current level of play if they are to claw their way into the postseason, and that should make for a thrilling game against the Golden Knights.
Minnesota will be a desperate hockey team while the Knights will also be looking for a big W in order to try and tighten their grip on the Pacific.
3. Mar. 15, @ Colorado Avalanche
The Vegas Golden Knights will finish this current five-game road trip against the surging Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
After slaying the San Jose Sharks 4-3 on Sunday, the Avs are keeping pace with the St. Louis Blues in the Central despite being banged up.
They are missing a number of key pieces, including center Nazem Kadri, but the Avalanche are still finding ways to win.
It helps when you have a superstar on the roster in Nathan MacKinnon who, after recording three points (one goal, two assists) against the Sharks, became the first player in franchise history to register three consecutive 90-point seasons.
The Avalanche also boast stud rookie in Cale Makar who has racked up 47 points (12 goals, 35 assists) in his first year in the National Hockey League.
In other words, they are a loaded team and they will get even better once everyone is healthy, which is bad news for the rest of the league.
And, the Golden Knights have not had a lot of fun when going up against the Colorado Avalanche this season.
They were hammered 6-1 by the Avs on Oct. 25, before allowing seven goals on home ice on Dec. 23, so not great Bob, not great.
You could argue that the Golden Knights are therefore due some happiness against Colorado, but it won’t be easy against one of the best teams in the NHL.
4. Mar. 17, Vs. Dallas Stars
Despite getting off to a slow start and then having to deal with the controversy of losing Head Coach Jim Montgomery due to off-ice matters, the Dallas Stars have rebounded from a bucketload of adversity nicely.
The Stars currently sit third in the Central and look a lock for the playoffs, although they are currently on a five-game skid.
They have been blanked in back-to-back games as their offense sputters down the stretch, and there is cause for concern there.
However, despite their recent struggles, the Stars are a loaded and talented team and it shouldn’t be long before they figure things out.
Cream always rises to the top, after all.
And, as a result, the Golden Knights will have to guard against complacency when they lock horns against the Stars in what will be their homecoming at T-Mobile Arena after this road trip.
The Stars will be a desperate hockey team, especially after this recent stretch, and both teams can’t afford to keep dropping games.
Therefore, this is all set up to be a huge contest for both the Golden Knights and the Stars and it could prove to be a real track meet given the firepower these teams boast.
5. Mar. 23, Vs. Vancouver Canucks
This has been a tough stretch for the Vancouver Canucks who have dropped five of their last six, including losing a tough one to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.
Vancouver is tied with the Nashville Predators and the Winnipeg Jets for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, and things are getting desperate for the Canucks right now.
They need to break out of this current slump and soon, or risk missing out on the playoffs which would be a major blow given the huge strides made by the franchise this year and the fact that they went all in at the Trade Deadline.
And, as a result, this could be the most important game of the month of March for the Vegas Golden Knights.
With only five games of the regular season remaining after this contest, the meeting between the Knights and the Canucks could have huge playoff implications for both teams.
A win could push the Vegas Golden Knights closer to clinching the Pacific Division, while a win for the Canucks would greatly boost their chances of punching their playoff ticket.
Plus, with the Golden Knights taking on Vancouver in the regular season finale, this showdown could really set the tone for future meetings between these two teams.
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The Canucks, despite their recent struggles, are still a loaded team and with a young core featuring the likes of Quinn Hughes, Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson, will be a real threat to the Golden Knights down the stretch.