Two years ago, the idea of hockey in the Sin City was still fresh, new and audacious. now, for the second year in a row, the Vegas Golden Knights have clinched a playoff spot.
They didn't clinch the spot, however, on their own terms. There had been three separate occasions where, if the Golden Knights secured a victory, they would clinch. First off at home, it was their match against the Red Wings. Even though the match saw both teams secure points due to overtime, Anthony Mantha's goal defeated the Knights just 19 seconds into overtime. Then came along the test brought by one of the hottest teams in the NHL, the St. Louis Blues. Although William Karlsson was able to tie the game in the second period, goals from Ryan O'Reilly and Zach Sanford were unmatched. Finally, to close off the two game road trip, the Knights looked to close out the Avalanche. The theme here runs constant because the Avalanche secured a 4-3 victory which, once again, pushed back Vegas from clinching a playoff spot.
A series of injuries to guys like Marc-Andre Fleury, Max Pacioretty, Brandon Pirri and even Pierre Edouard-Bellemare all played Major roles in depleting the VGK squads who sought after clinching the coveted playoff spot. Only Max Pacioretty was able to return in time to play against the Minnesota Wild where the final score was irrelevant after the second period.
The Golden Knights were down 3-1 to the Wild before the start of the third period. The VGK fanbase knew that if they won tonight, they would undoubtedly clinch for the second year in a row. But another result in the NHL could also secure Vegas’ spot in the playoffs. It wasn't the most glamorous way, but it inevitably became away that all fans accepted with an arousing cheer in the T-Mobile Arena.
This “way” dealt with the fact that the Arizona Coyotes could not pick up two points against the Colorado Avalanche. Instead, their game went to an overtime and an eventual shootout. Thanks to Nathan MacKinnon's game-deciding shootout goal, the Coyotes were restricted to just one point.
News of this shootout victory was on display on the Knight Tron and a sigh of relief filled the arena. Regardless of the outcome the Knights had with the Wild, they now knew that their hometown expansion team was destined for another Stanley Cup push.
The Golden Knights ended up scoring the only goal in the third period, leading to a 3-2 Minnesota Wild victory who, are still pushing toward their own spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
It is very likely that the Golden Knights will take on the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the playoffs. Both teams are more than capable of winning the Western Conference Finals and, for a team that did not start the season off so great, the Golden Knights will look forward to adding to their young folklore of playoff success.
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