Full disclosure: I've never stayed one night in Texas in my entire life. I've been to Los Angeles, Montreal, and even Vancouver once in my life. But I've only dropped down in Texas for layover flights (one of which only had a 10-minute layover).
However, I will be flying out to the Lone Star State in a couple of weeks. Why, you ask? The Vegas Golden Knights will have their second game in the state in March against... the Dallas Stars.
Believe it or not, the Golden Knights will make their first trip to Texas this season against Dallas on Tuesday. The Stars are one of the three challenging Central Division teams, alongside the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild. Can Vegas salvage at least one win against the Stars in that span? Stay tuned.
But one thing's certain: March will be the month of Texas, specifically in Dallas. Mind you, the Golden Knights will be heading to Jerryworld next season to show the Cowboys how to win big games. Still, the focus is on now and Vegas desperately needs wins against playoff teams.
That means an all-hands-on-deck approach from everyone, whether it's the new guys or the goaltenders. The Golden Knights must go all-in on their team and, you know, win games against playoff-position teams.
Otherwise, it'll be a long offseason with plenty of questions. It'll mean a first-round exit—or worse—missing the Stanley Cup playoffs. That disappointment would be bigger than the state of Texas itself.
But I'm not thinking about that (at least, not yet). I'm thinking about grabbing some cowboy boots and two-stepping my way into American Airlines Center. By the way, that's the last travel guide of the season. Stay tuned!