Life is good when you're sitting at the top of the NHL standings. The Vegas Golden Knights are tied for the second-most points in the league (45) and lead the Pacific Division. Jack Eichel (42 points) also looks like a Hart Trophy candidate, creating an endless amount of offense for the team.
You'd think fans would be satisfied with being near the top of the mountain. Why complain about anything when your team's atop the division and beating nearly everyone in sight? Why not enjoy the moment and enjoy the views while you look down on your enemies?
Sadly, that's not realistic. Not everyone is satisfied with the Golden Knights until they meet certain quotas. Some people won't be happy until Adin Hill becomes a Vezina Trophy candidate and makes a million saves in a season. Some people won't be satisfied until Mark Stone plays more than 60 games while scoring 200 points in a season.
It's like the person that goes into a restaurant looking for trouble. They won't be happy with the food they're served no matter how hard you try. In turn, they'll raise a stink about everything until Gordon Ramsay comes out of the kitchen and calls them an "idiot sandwich."
With that, let's explore three misconceptions regarding the Golden Knights organization. Some of these involve Hill and how he tends the goal. Others involve other teams and how Vegas has handled them. After all, it could be worse. You could lose 11 straight like the Buffalo Sabres. What are some myths about the Golden Knights that must be shattered immediately?
1.) The Vegas Golden Knights don't beat good teams
A common misconception about this year's Vegas Golden Knights team is they can't beat Stanley Cup playoff teams. Select fans have seen Mark Stone and company play against contenders like the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes and be unmotivated by their play.
"ThE gOlDeN kNiGhTs DoN't BeAt GoOd TeAmS!"
While their rallying cry gets louder despite these victories, the Golden Knights have actually done well against teams currently in playoff positioning. In fact, their current record is 10-7-2, including an eight-game stretch of 6-1-1 entering Friday.
In the past month, the Golden Knights have taken down teams like the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets (twice), and Minnesota Wild. These three teams are firmly in the playoff race, with the Jets (47 points, most in the NHL) and Wild (44) firmly atop the NHL standings.
Yes, two of those wins came against an Eastern Conference team in playoff positioning (the Ottawa Senators), proving that angle is a complete farce. The upcoming 10-game stretch won't feature any teams currently in playoff positioning. It means the Golden Knights can feast on points and separate themselves from the red-hot Oilers and Los Angeles Kings.