On March 7, the Vegas Golden Knights weren't thinking about the Los Angeles Kings or Edmonton Oilers. They were too busy thinking about the Pittsburgh Penguins and beating them. That's what they did as they scored a 4-0 shutout. Life was good and the lead was at four points. They were trying to distance themselves from the Oilers.
It only seemed like a matter of time before the Golden Knights were hosting hockey Game 1's for the first two rounds. Being up five points had them comfortable, after all. Then, something scary happened.
The Golden Knights lost to the Kings at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 6-5. Vegas ended up 1-3-0 against their Pacific Division adversaries, leaving some fans not wanting a first-round matchup.
After that game came a forgettable road trip followed by a six-game winning streak. Life was good again, sans losing Tomas Hertl to an upper-body injury.
Then, Vegas went winless in its mini-homestand, losing to the Oilers and Winnipeg Jets. They were outscored, 7-2, in those two games. As for the Kings? They carried a four-game winning streak into Sunday, defeating those same Oilers on Saturday, 3-0.
Suddenly, that lead turned into one point heading into Saturday's game against the Calgary Flames. Edging the Calgary Flames in overtime, 3-2, helped. Still, the fans are freaking out like Treasure Island ended free parking.
It's not like the Kings have suddenly gotten hot like the St. Louis Blues, either. They have a record of 13-3-0 since March 7, gaining 26 points in the process. The Golden Knights? 9-4-2. Sure, 20 points isn't bad. But they were warned about their rivals after the March 9th matchup.
How the Los Angeles Kings have suddenly gained on the Vegas Golden Knights
That victory on March 9 might be seen as the catalyst for the Los Angeles Kings going 13-3-0 in their last 16 games. But it was the night before that kicked off the astonishing run.
They defeated the St. Louis Blues in overtime, 2-1. Yes, the same Blues team that's won their last 12 games. Quinton Byfield got the overtime winner, kickstarting one of the most impressive runs this side of St. Louis.
The main catalyst of that run has been Darcy Kuemper. He's allowed 1.09 goals per game and has a save percentage of .953 since March 7. If Golden Knights fans want to blame something regarding the Kings run, well, there's your main target.
Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfield have also scored seven goals each since that date. Three players catching on fire gave them the confidence needed to vie for the top spot. So what did the Vegas Golden Knights do?
They didn't score on an empty net on March 15.
They took bad penalties on Tuesday that put them at a disadvantage.
They didn't get a single point in the last two-game homestand.
Sure, there's not much you can do when going 9-4-2 in your last 15 games. But the Golden Knights have been their own worst enemy at times despite all their winning. They've left points on the board, allowing the Kings to crawl back into the Pacific Division race.
Is it a bad thing to face the Edmonton Oilers in the first round, though?
Well, that's complicated. While the Edmonton Oilers currently look as tough as Ariana Grande after promoting Wicked, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl should be back before the Stanley Cup playoffs. Even without one player or the other, Tuesday's game proved you can't take them lightly.
Draisaitl had a power play goal that game as Edmonton cranked up the neutral zone pressure after the first period. The Golden Knights don't want to get trapped in a long series with their heated rivals, especially if the Kings await.
But on the other end lies the red-hot St. Louis Blues. They could be swapped out for the Colorado Avalanche should they continue their long winning streak. The Wild have fallen out of favor and aren't rebounding this season. That's why it could be a tough matchup here as well. Do you want to face the NHL's hottest team or Nathan MacKinnon and a bunch of trade deadline acquisitions?
On paper, the Blues matchup looks more favorable based on the McDavid-Draisaitl factor alone. The two megastars could steal a series or two and make another deep run. Still, we wouldn't have this conversation if the Golden Knights didn't beat themselves. That starts with making the necessary plays, such as scoring on an empty net and not being called for two penalties in 20 seconds.