Ranking the best starts in Vegas Golden Knights history
The Vegas Golden Knights have had their fair share of quick starts. But which start reigns supreme?
The Vegas Golden Knights have a habit of getting off to hot starts throughout the years. They've gone on extensive winning streaks, handling their business and stacking points early. It's led to six Stanley Cup appearances in the first seven seasons, making matters easier for the franchise. Life's good when big names like Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault pull their weight.
While there have been some hiccups in specific areas (looking at you, VGK power play), the team has enjoyed consistent success early. What's more impressive is they've done this with different head coaches, whether it's Bruce Cassidy or Pete DeBoer. No other franchise can boast about being a bastion for starting the season right. Yet, the Golden Knights have made this into a habit.
Let's do a little exercise on the best starts in franchise history. However, we can't just go with any stretch of games of varying lengths. There aren't enough seasons for a top-ten list, so let's look at the best of a shortened history. There must also be consistency in this formula. There would be mass hysteria if it scattered all over the place. Structure is the key to life, especially when assessing how a team opens the regular season.
So let's go with 15 games as the cutoff. That way, each start can be fairly assessed in an organized fashion. After all, everything should be perfectly balanced as this list will show you. So which were the best starts in Vegas Golden Knights history? What was the ensuing outcome of these stretches? Let's dive further into the numbers and see the hottest starts in Golden Knights' history.
7.) 2018-19: The Vegas Golden Knights have their only sub-.500 start in 15 games
The start of the 2018-19 season wasn't the kindest to the Golden Knights. They had their only sub-.500 stretch in the first 15 games (6-8-1). They also had their only loss in a season opener, losing to the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-2. Of course, Vegas only played five Western Conference teams in that stretch, which explains the shoddy record. Still, the Golden Knights made the playoffs, only to lose to the San Jose Sharks in the first round in seven games.
6.) 2019-20: The start that didn't stand out
This stretch didn't stand out for the Golden Knights with a record of 8-5-2. They went 1-1-2 during a four-game home stand from October 25 to November 2, 2019. Their record would've held up better if they had performed against teams like the Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens. Still, Vegas turned the ship around after Gerard Gallant was fired, making the Western Conference Final in the COVID bubble.
5.) 2017-18: Jonathan Marchessault and the Vegas Golden Knights get the party started
Fans will remember Jonathan Marchessault and his contributions to the Golden Knights. He's the franchise leader in points (417), goals (192), and assists (225). However, he was also one of the catalysts for getting the team started right, where they made the Stanley Cup Final. In this 15-game stretch, Vegas won three overtime games, going 9-5-1. Their first loss in franchise history came against the Detroit Red Wings on October 13, 2017 (6-3).
4.) 2021-22: The Golden Knights recover for a better start to their season
Fans will remember the 2021-22 season as the only time the Golden Knights missed the playoffs in franchise history. That's how they lost four of their first five games to start this campaign. However, they'll also forget that the team won eight of the next ten games after. It kept them competitive before Jack Eichel made his grand entrance. In turn, the franchise started 9-6-0 in their first 15 games.
3.) 2020-21: Life in a COVID hockey world was friendly to the Golden Knights
2020-21 didn't end the way the Golden Knights wanted after the Montreal Canadiens pulled off a monumental semifinal upset. However, they did start 10-4-1. That included winning their first four games and 10 of the first 13 games. This stretch was so dominant that only one loss was decided by more than one goal (a 5-2 loss at Arizona on January 22, 2021).
2.) The Vegas Golden Knights go on a record-breaking run to start the season
Now we're getting into Bruce Cassidy's tenure as the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights. His last stint produced a 15-game start of 12-2-1. Here, the Golden Knights were the first defending champions in NHL history to win their first seven games. Three wins came in a shootout during this 15-game stretch and the first regular loss was against the Anaheim Ducks on November 5, 2023 (4-2). Sadly, this season didn't end as fans hoped as the defending champions were eliminated in the first round in seven games. The opponent? Pete DeBoer and the Dallas Stars.
1.) The start that helped win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history
Fans have countless memories from the Stanley Cup-clinching season for the Vegas Golden Knights. However, an underrated aspect of the title run started in the first 15 games. This was when the Golden Knights won 13 of their first 15 games. During this stretch, they also won nine straight games (October 24 to November 20, 2022). They also had three overtime wins, giving them crucial points down the line. Finally, Eichel and Marchessault brought Stanley Cup magic to Sin City. Sometimes, you must start fast to become the world champion.
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