I was seething in my sorrows after the Vegas Golden Knights suffered an embarrassing 5-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday afternoon. How could this team do this? How could they not show up against a playoff team and take a dump in the bed?
To throw salt on my wounds, I came across a d*mning statistic that made matters worse. Therefore, be sure to hide your wife and your kids because this upcoming tweet is rated R.
Vegas Golden Knights Fun Facts
— Liam Blutman (@Blutman27) March 1, 2026
Last time VGK beat a team currently in a playoff spot: November 20th, 2025 vs. Mammoth
Four Wins all season vs. teams current in a playoff spot: Canes x2, Red Wings, Mammoth
While you can add the Bruins to that list (Boston has the last wild card spot), the point remains the same: the Golden Knights stink against playoff competition. That's not good news for a team that carried Stanley Cup aspirations into the season. It's like they forget how to play hockey against good teams.
Pretty much.
So, let's have a little fun, dear reader. Let's look at the upcoming schedule and predict when the Golden Knights will beat a playoff position team next. That way, the fans can have some hope and not wallow in their sorrows after a bad loss.
When will the Golden Knights win their next game against a playoff position team?
First, let's lay out the terms. The following teams were in playoff position, excluding the Golden Knights (with the Anaheim Ducks playing the Calgary Flames as of this piece).
- Tampa Bay Lightning
- Buffalo Sabres
- Montreal Canadiens
- Detroit Red Wings
- Boston Bruins
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- New York Islanders
- Colorado Avalanche
- Minnesota Wild
- Dallas Stars
- Utah Mammoth
- Anaheim Ducks
- Seattle Kraken
- Edmonton Oilers
The next six games for the Golden Knights (as of Sunday night) consist of the following:
- March 3: @Buffalo
- March 4: @Detroit
- March 6: Minnesota
- March 8: Edmonton
- March 10: @Dallas
- March 12: Pittsburgh
There's no way that you'd lose eight straight games in that fashion, right? Well, if that's the case, there are home games against the Buffalo Sabres (March 17) and against the Utah Mammoth (March 19). But let's assume that Vegas breaks its dry spell during the six games.
The Sabres will be a tough team to crack, considering they're 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. While Detroit is 4-4-2 in that span, the Golden Knights have struggled at Little Caesars Arena (3-4-0) historically. Add in the fact that it's a back-to-back game and life gets much more complicated.
So what about the Golden Knights homestand?
There's a two-game homestand that awaits the Golden Knights after the long trip. Their opponents will be the Minnesota Wild and the Edmonton Oilers. Could the Golden Knights steal a game against one of those teams?
If you're thinking that the Wild will be the game, it'll be tough to do. As of Sunday, Minnesota is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games. The Wild have gone all-in on their current roster, acquiring Quinn Hughes along the way. That leaves us with... the Oilers.
This season, Edmonton has seen its ongoing goaltending problem get turned up 100 times. Not only that, but its stay-at-home defense has been abysmal. On top of that, the Oilers have lost six of their last 10 games as of Sunday night. Therefore, the pick will be on March 8 against the Oilers.
If not? The pick will be on March 19 against Utah. However, things can change. The Golden Knights saw what happened on Sunday with Mark Stone sustaining an upper-body injury. However, March 8 offers Vegas the best chance to win, given that Edmonton has had similar woes this season.