The Vegas Golden Knights have been wildly regarded as one of the best NHL franchises since 2017-18. Fans already know the story by now.
Four semifinal appearances.
Two Stanley Cup Final appearances.
One Stanley Cup victory (2023).
Bill Foley and the Golden Knights have committed to excellence, whether in the front office or on the ice. It's no wonder the team has been one of the most controversial figures in the NHL today.
Some fans will say they've been handed a solid team from the start, thanks to lax expansion draft rules. Meanwhile, the Seattle Kraken operated under those same rules and have made a playoff appearance once. No Stanley Cups in the Pacific Northwest, but plenty of grunge rock and Starbucks coffee.
Vegas's opponent for Monday, the Carolina Hurricanes, is trying to develop the same mantra of excellence. Last season, they secured the second-most points in the Eastern Conference and have won their respective divisions in three of the past four seasons.
It seems the Hurricanes are back at it with a 10-3-0 record, good for 20 points and second place in the Metropolitan Division. They'll head to the "Fortress" on Monday night to face the Golden Knights in a big matchup.
So let's examine the all-time matchup between both teams. Who has the upper hand? How have the Golden Knights fared against the team from Tobacco Road?
The Vegas Golden Knights have a record of 5-4-3 all-time against the Carolina Hurricanes
The Vegas Golden Knights have had modest success against the Carolina Hurricanes, posting an all-time record of 5-4-3. Vegas has swept the season series against Carolina once (2022-23) and was swept once without points (2023-24). They've earned points in .667 of matchups against Carolina.
The Golden Knights had their biggest margin of victory on two dates. First, there was a 5-1 victory on January 21, 2018 in Raleigh. Here, Jonathan Marchessault (one goal) and Colin Miller (one goal, two assists) dominated the game, giving Vegas a potent offense. In fact, the Golden Knights scored three goals in the first period, never looking back.
The other was a 4-0 shutout... in Raleigh. This happened on March 11, 2023, where the Golden Knights had big games by Marchessault (one goal), Reilly Smith (one goal), and Alex Pietrangelo (two assists).
The largest margin of defeat for the Golden Knights was three, happening twice. First was a 5-2 victory for the Hurricanes on February 1, 2019. Here, Sebastian Aho scored a third-period goal to help the cause. The other instance was last season on December 19, 2023, in a 6-3 rout. Six different Hurricane players scored, while Jack Eichel chipped in one goal for the Golden Knights.
The Hurricanes will be a tricky foe for Vegas on Monday. They're a fast team moving up and down the ice, keeping their opponents on their heels. That will come into play at T-Mobile Arena when Carolina visits, giving the Golden Knights their toughest test yet.