If I told you, a Vegas Golden Knights fan, a couple of weeks ago that Vegas would have the second-most points in the Western Conference, you wouldn't have believed me. You would've scoffed at the very idea of the Golden Knights only being behind the Winnipeg Jets in the standings.
Yet, here we are.
Sitting at 107 points, the Golden Knights are closing in on the second-best record in the Western Conference. All they need is a point to wrap up the spot. With that comes peace of mind against the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the original spotholders, the Dallas Stars, are currently in a freefall. Winless in their last six games, the Stars have suddenly spiraled out of control. Jake Oettinger has allowed nine goals in his last two games. Now? He has a higher GAA than Adin Hill (2.48 compared to Hill's 2.47). Sure, it's just a point. But there are some critics who had better start respecting the 28-year-old.
However, it also raises a broader point: Pete DeBoer might be losing his touch. It occurred during his Golden Knights tenure, when his team missed the playoffs in the 2021-22 season. Mind you, it's the only time in franchise history that it's happened. Still, he was fired afterwards. Hockey is a cruel sport at times.
That leaves a bigger question at hand. Should Vegas go for that point? Is it worth getting home-ice advantage over another opponent? Believe it or not, you want to prepare for any scenario. Who knows? You might make the Western Conference Final again.
Why the Vegas Golden Knights should take the second spot from the Dallas Stars
You'd think that having the Pacific Division clinched along with a playoff spot would help the Vegas Golden Knights rest easy. After all, Bruce Cassidy and the club stated they intend on resting players.
However, if there was an opportunity to move up, would you let it slip? Or would you let it slip?
Here's the thing: The Dallas Stars have a 2-1-0 record against the Golden Knights this season. Let's say both teams meet up in the Western Conference Final. The Stars move past the Avalanche and Jets to get there. The Golden Knights? They would take down the Wild and figure out the Kings.
Would you rather have Games 1 and 7 at American Airlines Center or T-Mobile Arena? Remember that Vegas had a home record of 29-9-3 this season. The Stars are 28-10-3 in Dallas this season. Fans remember what happened when they didn't have home ice for the first round last season.
Still, there's the flip side to this argument. You know the Calgary Flames will be desperate for a playoff spot. Therefore, they'll come out hard on Tuesday. But what about the Canucks? That could also be a possibility, although fans can expect Cassidy to rest his best players.
Personally, there's nothing wrong with having an insurance policy. It seems Pete DeBoer and the Vegas Golden Knights are tied at the hip during the Stanley Cup playoffs. It's been eight straight seasons of DeBoer and Vegas involved in the playoffs by some means. But with the way the Stars are playing, it looks like that streak could be broken. Therefore, it might not mean as much.