The Vegas Golden Knights have searched for answers to their bizarre 2025-26 season since "Opening Knight." They surrendered a 5-3 lead to the Los Angeles Kings, ultimately losing in the shootout. Then, they amassed seven more overtime/shootout losses, leaving the fan base worried.
However, a favorite month of theirs has pulled up: December. It's a month where they've thrived historically, boasting a record of 66-24-8 entering Sunday. They've received Christmas gifts from Santa Claus in the form of points, building up for the brutal January months.
That should inspire confidence in fans who called for Bruce Cassidy's head earlier this season. The Golden Knights enter Sunday's game against the New York Rangers with a three-game winning streak. Not only that, but they have a record of 13-6-8 with 34 points. Maybe they can cut Cassidy and the Golden Knights some slack?
But let's dive deeper into the numbers and see how the Golden Knights have done on a season-by-season basis. After all, the holiday season is upon us and it's time for the gift of hockey! Remember that 2020-21 started in January because of COVID-19, meaning that there was no Golden Knights hockey to be had during December (stats from StatMuse).
Breaking down the Golden Knights' record in December on a season-by-season basis
What's funny about this is that the Golden Knights' only Stanley Cup win saw one of the most abysmal December months in franchise history. Vegas mustered 17 points during that stretch before exploding in February to get its first Stanley Cup. Still, the Golden Knights have gotten to a Stanley Cup Final with a strong December, as made evident by their 2017-18 season.
In fact, you can say that this was their best December campaign ever. Although the 2022-23 season is barely edged out by 2023-24 for the worst, it's still up there as one of the more abysmal campaigns. Ironically, a strong 2021 campaign in December wasn't enough to propel the Golden Knights to a playoff spot that season. It's still the only season where Vegas has missed the playoffs to this day.
Season | Record |
|---|---|
2017-18 | 11-1-1 |
2018-19 | 9-3-3 |
2019-20 | 9-4-2 |
2021-22 | 10-3-0 |
2022-23 | 8-6-1 |
2023-24 | 7-5-1 |
2024-25 | 10-2-0 |
Who's one noteworthy Golden Knight in December? Why, that would be none other than the Captain himself, Mark Stone. The Winnipeg native has 131 career points in December, with 76 coming with Vegas. He's come through for the Golden Knights and has been an emotional driver for the team throughout the years. This season appears to be no different.
Since returning to Vegas from a wrist injury, the Captain has two goals and three assists. That includes a goal and an assist on the power play, making him one of the offense's focal points. He's on track to have yet another Stone-esque December, powering Vegas up at even strength and the power play.
As for the month overall, December is a reason why fans should be excited. You're on a three-game winning streak entering Sunday's game against the New York Rangers and you have the chance to go off completely. If that's the case, get ready for a different conversation: the "Evil Empire" talks.