If you told some Vegas Golden Knights fans a week ago that they would lose the Pacific Division to the Los Angeles Kings, some would've believed you. The Kings were a point back of the Golden Knights in the division, after all. Combine that with an array of home games and life suddenly gets harder.
But a funny thing happened. Vegas had a successful three-game road trip, getting five of six possible points. Along the way, the Kings lost a key home game to the Seattle Kraken. For one night on a random Monday, the Kraken were the "Greatest Expansion Story Ever."
Now? All they need is a win on Saturday against the Nashville Predators. That's it. The sudden worries of blowing the division to a SoCal team have gone out the window. Sorry, haters. It looks like Vegas is on its way to winning again.
If you've read these posts, you understand why it's important to win the division. You get home-ice advantage for the first two rounds. It's a factor considering the Golden Knights are 28-9-3 at T-Mobile Arena this season. Therefore, Vegas needs to see Chance, the Vegas Vivas, and Lee Orchard as much as possible.
But it goes beyond having a stellar home record. History shows there's significance when the franchise takes the Pacific Division. It shows why the Golden Knights need to win the division and fend off their adversaries.
Why winning the Pacific Division matters for the Vegas Golden Knights
Looking back at the Vegas Golden Knights' history, the team has won three division titles prior to Saturday's game against Nashville. They won in 2017-18, 2019-20, and 2022-23. Yes, the COVID-shortened season will be counted here. So how did the Golden Knights fare when winning the Pacific Division?
Pacific Division-clinching season | Points | Result |
|---|---|---|
2017-18 | 109 | Lost to the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Final, 4-1 |
2019-20 | 86 | Lost to the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final, 4-1 |
2022-23 | 111 | Won the Stanley Cup (Defeated the Florida Panthers, 4-1) |
Three divisional crowns might be a smaller sample size regarding a team's postseason results. However, the results have been consistent. Even with a COVID-shortened season, the Golden Knights have thrived with the divisional crown.
What's more is that both Stanley Cup Final appearances came with 100-point seasons. Vegas has 105 points entering Saturday's game against the Predators, leaving fans to salivate at the potential thought. While the 2019-20 season was shortened, that also produced good results in its own right. There's a reason why winning the division is important. These results show why.
Should Golden Knights fans buy stock into these circumstances should they clinch the division?
There's plenty of reason to believe the Vegas Golden Knights should be set for a successful playoff run. The Edmonton Oilers have been hobbled by various injuries, mainly to their key players, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. While they got last season's Conn Smythe winner back, they should have Draisaitl back for the playoffs.
As for the Kings? Golden Knights fans will remember when the Oilers had Vegas's number in 2022-23. They had a record of 3-0-1 against Vegas that season, only to lose in the second round. The postseason is a different animal, where it won't account for Los Angeles going 3-1-0 against the Golden Knights.
It's the same thing with the Dallas Stars. In 2022-23, they won all three regular season games against Vegas. Then, the Golden Knights took out Pete DeBoer in six games. The rest, as they say, is history.
The good thing about the Stanley Cup playoffs is that it gives any team a chance to win. There hasn't been a President's Trophy winner who won the Stanley Cup in an 82-game season since 2007-08. That was when the Detroit Red Wings took down Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. That should inspire Las Vegans as their favorite NHL team makes its way towards another Stanley Cup run.