'Tis the spooky season for celebrating Halloween! The Vegas Golden Knights know a thing or two about this, with William Karlsson, Reilly Smith, and their significant others dressing up like the Swedish music group ABBA.
Now that's epic. Be sure to play "Dancing Queen" for the Original Misfits while you're at it. You gotta celebrate Halloween the right way, you know?
Let's be honest. The Golden Knights have been spoiled with so many good historical moments that you can't count them on two hands. Winning a Stanley Cup and making two Stanley Cup Finals make countless memories for the fanbase. That's not even counting the numerous Stanley Cup playoff appearances and four Pacific Division titles.
However, not everything is rosy in the Golden Knights kingdom. In fact, there have been some scary moments that haunt the fanbase. You can say that these aren't so "spooktacular."
So, let's look at the four scariest moments in Golden Knights history. Be sure to check for Freddy Kreuger in your dreams because these moments will leave you crying for mommy!
4.) Braden Holtby robs Alex Tuch in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final
It's Game 2 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final. The Vegas Golden Knights might be down, 3-2. However, they have a 1-0 series lead. In fact, Vegas is driving down on the rush, getting ready to score.
That's when Cody Eakin gets the puck. He finds Alex Tuch on the weak side for a one-timer. Bingo bango, that should be a goal... except it wasn't.
Braden Holtby made a series-altering save that would swing the momentum in the Washington Capitals' favor. In turn, the Capitals hold on for a 3-2 win and clinch their first Stanley Cup, 4-1.
Golden Knights fans are imagining what would've happened if Holtby didn't make that save. It would've sealed a magical inaugural season filled with hope and promises. Instead, it left fans craving for more like a werewolf.
3.) Marc-Andre Fleury's gaffe against the Montreal Canadiens
The Golden Knights have a 2-1 lead over the Montreal Canadiens. They're on their way to a 2-1 series lead and Montreal's contemplating whether or not to pull their goalie. Life's good.
Then the puck's dumped into the defensive zone, where Fleury tries to clear it. The only problem was that... he didn't.
That gaffe would lead to the Canadiens winning in overtime and taking the series, 4-2. That would raise numerous questions about Fleury's viability as a goaltender, where he'd eventually be traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. Mind you, Vegas had a spectacular season (40-14-2) and was the heavy favorite to win the Stanley Cup that season.
That's one that will haunt the old-school Golden Knights for a while. What's more, it's similar to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final moment that swung the momentum in the other team's favor.
2.) The Golden Knights trade Nick Suzuki and Tomas Tatar to the Montreal Canadiens for Max Pacioretty
Speaking of "Les Habs," the Golden Knights made one of the biggest trade blunders in the long term. Desperate for scoring on the wing, Vegas acquired Max Pacioretty from the Canadiens for Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki, and a second-round draft pick.
Tatar was successful with Montreal in his own right, scoring 57 goals and 92 assists in three seasons. However, Suzuki continues to haunt the franchise that drafted him. The former first-round pick has 140 goals and 251 assists in his career. That included a stellar 2024-25 campaign when he scored 30 goals and 59 assists.
Some trades can be spooky to the core. But this one will be the ghost that haunts Vegas for a while.
1.) Game 7 of the 2019 first round against the San Jose Sharks
You remember when Cody Eakin was called for a five-minute major for cross-checking, right? Well, you don't want to remember it and I don't blame you. After all, it was a traumatic experience where the Sharks scored four unanswered power play goals before winning in overtime.
Logan Couture buried two power play goals and current Golden Knights star Tomas Hertl chipped in another with Kevin Labanc. It ignited the Sharks-Golden Knights rivalry, leading to numerous Pleasanton bellhops trying to predict Vegas's downfall. It still hasn't happened yet, with the Sharks being stuck in that downfall instead.
Ironically, Gerard Gallant would be fired and replaced with the guy who beat him in that Game 7: Pete DeBoer. While DeBoer led the Golden Knights to two straight semifinal appearances, he was also on the hook for the only time when Vegas missed the Stanley Cup playoffs. Talk about your full circle (or in this case, full moon) moments.