The Seattle Mariners are two wins away from their first-ever World Series appearance. After years of futility and meddling ownership, the Mariners finally have a team that could potentially win it all. It's something that the Kraken have been lacking since they joined the NHL, specifically with middle-of-the-lineup guys in the Pacific Northwest.
So much for being a "Greater Expansion Story."
Mind you, the franchise has been around since 1977. During that time, the NHL has expanded to 32 teams, including the Vegas Golden Knights team which has made the Stanley Cup Final twice. Bill Foley keeps showing that he's not a spineless husk like Howard Lincoln during his heyday.
That's why Golden Knights fans have it made. Other franchises could have an oblivious owner like Lincoln or Terry Pegula, who doesn't want to build a winner. Instead, they have a man committed to winning as many Stanley Cups as possible. And they say hockey doesn't work in the desert.
What can Vegas Golden Knights fans learn about... the World Series?
Yes, I know it sounds funny that we're talking about the World Series in a hockey site. However, there are some things that the Golden Knights can learn from the Mariners.
Despite Vegas's funky 2-0-2 start, they still managed six points and entered Wednesday with the Pacific Division lead. Ironically, the Mariners were in a similar situation. Let's go back a month ago, when the Mariners were stuck in a road rut.
The date is September 6. Seattle lost the night before, 4-1, to the Atlanta Braves. Mind you, they won three of their previous 16 road games and stood at 73-68, heading towards another "game over". There was no way they were winning the AL West... until they did. They won 16 of their next 17 games to clinch their first division title since 2001. Lo and behold, they're two wins away from their first World Series appearance, too.
Sometimes, all it takes is one game to set off an incredible stretch. For the Mariners, those next two games in Atlanta were won by a combined score of 28-4. That's something the Golden Knights can do to separate themselves from the NHL. Luckily, Bruce Cassidy's the man to do the job.