A week ago, the Vegas Golden Knights were sitting comfortably in the Pacific Division. They had a cozy five-point lead over the Edmonton Oilers heading into Sunday. Suddenly, that lead has dwindled to two points.
Where did the lead go? Were the points devoured by some demonic points monster named Evander Kane? Or was it the mere slip in play by Vegas? Whatever the case, it's time to hop into the Mystery Machine because we have a mystery on our hands.
Plain and simple, the Golden Knights were tired from a long four-game road trip. What looked like a cakewalk turned into a disaster with missed points.
They could've gotten two against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
They could've gotten two against the Buffalo Sabres.
Instead, they got one each against both opponents. Notable blunders such as not burying the game-sealing empty-net goal have created panic in Las Vegas. Suddenly, everyone is clenching their butt cheeks harder than before.
The Vegas Golden Knights must play as many games at T-Mobile Arena as possible
There's a good reason why getting as much home-ice advantage as possible helps. For one, the Golden Knights have thrived at T-Mobile Arena this season. They have a home record of 24-7-3 entering Thursday's game against the Boston Bruins.
Their road record? 15-13-5. It's a sharp contrast between two different teams. One lives off the crowd noise and sheer spectacle from Lee Orchard and the gang. The other plays down to their opponents, as proven by their contests against the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings.
Historically, playing at home has also mattered.
Season | Home record |
|---|---|
2017-18 | 29-10-2 |
2018-19 | 24-12-5 |
2019-20 | 22-11-4 |
2020-21 | 21-5-2 |
2021-22 | 22-15-4 |
2022-23 | 25-15-1 |
2023-24 | 27-12-2 |
2024-25 | 24-7-3 |
The most home wins in franchise history was in 2017-18. What happened that year? You guessed it. A Stanley Cup Final appearance. One can point at 2022-23 and say they also played well on the road. However, they also had solid home records in the other two semifinal appearances.
Therefore, getting as much ice time in Las Vegas as possible matters. Yes, the Stanley Cup playoffs is a crapshoot and the records don't matter like the regular season. However, they're not competing for home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
The last time a President's Trophy winner won the Stanley Cup in a full 82-game season was 2007-08. The Detroit Red Wings had 115 points and defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final. That's a tall task for the Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets to achieve this season.
But what about the road record?
What about the road record, you ask? Well, it's a good indicator of what happens if you don't have home-ice advantage in the first round minimum.
Season | Road record |
|---|---|
2017-18 | 22-14-5 |
2018-19 | 19-20-2 |
2019-20 | 17-13-4 |
2020-21 | 19-9-0 |
2021-22 | 21-16-4 |
2022-23 | 26-7-8 |
2023-24 | 18-17-6 |
2024-25 | 15-13-5 |
Take 2019-20 and last season as shining examples. Both were first-round exits where the Golden Knights didn't win the division. The less-than-stellar road record didn't help matters, especially since they were eliminated... on the road.
Yes, you might have outliers such as the Stanley Cup-winning season and 2020-21. But Vegas also had winning records at T-Mobile Arena those seasons. That home-ice advantage still mattered when the team needed it most.
So what should the Golden Knights do in this regard? Simple. Win the division. You're not getting the best record in the Western Conference. That belongs to the Winnipeg Jets.
However, they don't look like a team that'll sustain that success throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. The pressure's on for the Jets to deliver. All Vegas must do is win the division and let the cards lay where they may (Rhymes Like Dimes!) in the Western Conference. Who knows? They might have Lady Luck on their side this season.