You know, I try to be an optimist about the Vegas Golden Knights regardless of where they're at. I know it's easy to say when the Golden Knights lose to playoff-position teams like the Minnesota Wild and the Edmonton Oilers. You can tell that my job is incredibly hard, especially when you have people accusing you of being high.
But that might be a problem for Vegas on Tuesday when they face the Dallas Stars. The Stars are part of the three-headed monster in the Central Division that's terrorizing the NHL with 88 points (entering Tuesday). That includes the Wild (85 points) and the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche, who sit atop the mountain with 95 points.
In fact, Vegas's recent track record against the Stars will leave plenty of people terrified. We're talking about a Texas-sized Halloween in March, where Danhausen comes in and curses you. Here's how bad it's been for the Golden Knights against the Stars in the past 10 games (WARNING: Hide your family because this isn't for innocent eyes).
The Vegas Golden Knights are 3-5-2 against the Dallas Stars in the last 10 games
Now, this includes the postseason, where the series dynamic completely shifted. Therefore, you might want to look away and forget the traumatic memories involved in losing that series. But the Golden Knights are 3-5-2 in their last 10 games against the Dallas Stars.
If you want proof that the Dallas Stars have run circles around the Golden Knights in recent memory, look at the last three games. The Stars won all three contests in one-goal contests, with the last two games going to overtime or a shootout. However, that wasn't the only three-game losing streak for Vegas during this stretch.
Remember that traumatizing inclusion of the Stanley Cup playoffs that I talked about? Well, that three-game losing streak from the 2024 first-round series is there, too. Two losses came at T-Mobile Arena when the Golden Knights entered Game 3 up 2-0. Imagine how much the series dynamic would've shifted if Vegas won one of those games.
Still, the Golden Knights have the perfect chance to snap their current three-game losing streak against the Stars on Tuesday. Yes, I know it's a lot to ask for Vegas to actually beat a playoff team. However, crazier things have happened this season, including a comeback last Wednesday against... a playoff-position team.