The Vegas Golden Knights have their schedule for the Western Conference Finals.
After beating the Vancouver Canucks in seven games, the Vegas Golden Knights will now take on the Dallas Stars with the first team to four wins advancing through to the Stanley Cup Final.
Game 1 between the Golden Knights and the Stars is slated for 5:00 p.m. PT today, and the NHL has now released the full schedule for the Western Conference Final:
- Game 1 – Sunday, September 6 – 5:00 p.m. PT (NBC)
- Game 2 – Tuesday, September 8 – 5:00 p.m. PT (NBC)
- Game 3 – Thursday, September 10 – 5:00 p.m. PT (NBC)
- Game 4 – Saturday, September 12 – 5:00 p.m. PT (NBC)
- Game 5* – Monday, September 14 – 5:00 p.m. PT (NBC)
- Game 6* – Wednesday, September 16 – 5:00 p.m. PT (NBC)
- Game 7* – Friday, September 18 – 6:00 p.m. PT (NBC)
*If Necessary.
The most important thing to note here is that there are no back-to-backs, while all games are 5:00 p.m. starts with the exception of Game 7.
The Golden Knights had to play back-to-back games in both Round 1 against the Chicago Blackhawks, and in Round 2 against the Vancouver Canucks.
They had to navigate Games 6 & 7 against the Canucks as a back-to-back, so the fact that there is no back-to-back in the Western Conference Finals will come as a relief to Vegas.
As the top seed the Golden Knights will have home ice advantage and the last change in Games 1 & 2, and in Games 5 & 7 if necessary.
The Dallas Stars will have home ice advantage in Games 3 & 4 and in Game 6 if necessary.
Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long for the action to start with Game 1 tonight and it should be a compelling series.
It should also be a long one that could go seven given that both teams have good goaltending, both teams have depth and both teams have elite game-changers.
The X-Factor in this series for the Stars could be stud defenseman Miro Heiskanen who leads his team in postseason points with 21 (5 G, 16 A).
He’s been lights out for Dallas in the Stanley Cup Playoffs so far and could be the key to them advancing, while the Golden Knights will lean on Shea Theodore who has 6 goals and 10 assists for 16 points in the Playoffs.
The Golden Knights went 1-1-0 against the Stars in two regular-season meetings in 2019-20, averaging 2.50 Goals For Per Game and 3.00 Goals Against Per Game.
Both teams are built for the postseason and both the Vegas Golden Knights and the Dallas Stars have the pieces to win four games and punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.
This should be a fascinating series.