Hockey fans love a good match-up between two quality hockey teams. It brings out the best in both clubs and fans love the action. That has been the case between the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars, who will fight for the right to face the Colorado Avalanche in the next round on Sunday. They say everything is bigger in Texas, with this game seven match-up being no different.
Some have said this series was essentially the Western Conference Finals, only in the first round. With the high-scoring Stars offense dominating opponents and the Golden Knights's "Death Lineup," it's a tale of two contrasting lineups vying for the Stanley Cup. It's also a hockey fan service, portraying a budding rivalry akin to the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche of the 1990s/2000s.
If this is the newest rivalry in the NHL, it's certainly shown fans that it is. Ironically, the Vegas Golden Knights and their "Death Lineup" are the underdogs in the series, with the Stars favored for game seven (-150 money line). That adds another layer to the storyline: Can the underdog Golden Knights overcome the regular season's best team in the Western Conference?
While the Golden Knights are the underdog, some fans aren't too fond of them. Why, you might ask? For one, there's been controversy behind Mark Stone returning for the playoffs. It caused a stir because the Golden Knights were over the salary cap for the playoffs, despite the NHL owners agreeing to the exception to the rules. Let's call it "LTIR-gate". Whether that changes in the future remains to be seen. However, the controversy has created a new villain in the NHL: The Vegas Golden Knights.
With that, fans are taking notice of the series and its various stories. So what has made the Golden Knights and Stars unique? How will hockey fans remember the series going down?