The Vegas Golden Knights have had plenty of success against numerous franchises. Teams like the San Jose Sharks (25-2-5) and the Ottawa Senators (12-1-1) have fallen prey to one of the most successful NHL teams since 2017. That's what happens when you make six Stanley Cup playoff appearances with two Stanley Cup Final appearances and win a title.
However, some teams are tougher to figure out. The Carolina Hurricanes are a perfect example. The Golden Knights have an all-time record of 5-5-3 against the Eastern Conference team. That includes three straight losses, losing by a combined score of 14-6.
There's an old saying that you "can't win them all," regardless of if you have Marc-Andre Fleury in net or Jack Eichel on the top center spot. But that's the beauty of the NHL (or any other sport). For every adversary you have, another team is antagonizing them to no end.
The Golden Knights play the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, with two pivotal points on the line. Both teams are racing to the top of the Western Conference (and NHL), hoping to secure home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. But will that test be harder than anticipated? How have the Golden Knights done all-time against the Wild?
The Vegas Golden Knights have an all-time record of 12-12-1 against the Minnesota Wild
It happens that the Wild are one of those challenging teams for the Vegas Golden Knights. The Golden Knights have an all-time record of 12-12-1 against the Wild. In fact, they didn't get their first win against the Central Division club until October 6, 2018. It was a 2-1 shootout victory in St. Paul.
However, Golden Knights fans can take solace in the fact their team has won five of their last six against the Wild (5-1-0). They've outscored their opponent for Sunday, 25-13, including a win by five goals in their last matchup (April 12, 2024). That would also be the largest margin of victory for the Golden Knights, with seven different players scoring goals.
The largest margin of defeat was four goals on February 11, 2020. However, it was a simple 4-0 victory by the Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 16 of 20 shots for the Golden Knights. Alex Stalock outdueled him in that game, stopping all 26 shots heading his way.
Sunday's contest will provide another tough test for the road team. Considering they've had their challenges against the Wild before the game, that history could come into play. Fortunately, Golden Knights fans don't have to do this against their old friend, Fleury. That would be a sad sight to see.