Did you hear the news? The Vegas Golden Knights have a new hashtag! It's #ForgedInGold, which is the rallying cry for the 2026 Stanley Cup run. No longer will you see the Golden Knights logo next to #VegasBorn (although it is a wonderful hashtag), for it's being updated for... modern times.
Oh well. It was time, anyways.
Speaking of "it's time," that's where we stand with the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Vegas Golden Knights are in the playoffs for the eighth time in nine seasons, setting off an incredible streak. Even in 2021-22 (their lone season where they didn't make the playoffs), they still had a decent year.
Ironically, some will say that this season will be worse than that vaunted 2021-22 season. A head coach was fired during the campaign and the Golden Knights had more losses than wins. On top of that, the Golden Knights weren't dealing with as many injuries as that 2021-22 squad, which makes for fewer excuses for performing poorly.
Still, that's water under the bridge. Let's look at what happened in the final week of the regular season. It involved someone winning the Pacific Division and the Golden Knights finding out their first round opponent. Are you ready for the playoffs, dear reader?
The Vegas Golden Knights go back-to-back on the Pacific Division crown
For the first time in franchise history, the Vegas Golden Knights won the Pacific Division title in back-to-back seasons. They defeated the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, 4-1, securing their fifth divisional title in franchise history.
Granted, it wasn't an easy task, considering the obstacles that were in the way. That included bad goaltending and a team (allegedly) not responding to its head coach before John Tortorella came to town. However, the vibes ended up being good for the end of the regular season. So, who's the first round opponent?
The Golden Knights will face off against the Utah Mammoth in the first round
If you haven't heard about the Utah Mammoth, here's a refresher for you. Yes, they're an expansion team by technicality since the Arizona Coyotes were killed off. However, the players remain the same, including Clayton Keller.
The regular season matchup swung in Utah's favor, 2-1-0, with the Mammoth outscoring the Golden Knights, 9-1, in those matchups. However, Vegas hopes to turn the tide in this round, leaning on its experience and momentum to carry it to the next round.
Jack Eichel earns some nice honors by the NHLPA
The Vegas Golden Knights are fortunate to have Jack Eichel as their franchise face. The gold medalist had 90 points this season, making him one of the league's best players. It's no wonder that the NHLPA bestowed an incredible honor upon him this week.
He was named the NHLPA's Player of the Week after scoring the playoff-clinching goal against the Colorado Avalanche on April 11. He also had seven points for the last week, making him the quintessential marquee man. Can he carry that momentum into the Stanley Cup playoffs? Stay tuned.
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