The Vegas Golden Knights have made an impressive start to the 2022-23 season, and look set to finish on top of the Pacific Division.
After missing the playoffs last year, the Golden Knights appear to have regained their form, which will help them return to the playoffs, barring any collapse.
Following a disappointing run in 2021-22, the team looked good value preseason in NHL betting markets, particularly as they’ve been playing better than expected. The Knights have been impressive as an expansion franchise, and they would like to maintain that distinction.
Jack Eichel, who joined the Knights from the Buffalo Sabres in 2022, has been a vital part of the team’s success this year, and is looking like he’ll be one of the squad members notching up the most points come the end of the season. Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault are also players to look out for when it comes to finding the net.
Elsewhere team captain Mark Stone has been helping to solidify the attack, while the likes of Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo are also providing plenty of assists.
Vegas are a squad that looks strong end to end, with Paul Cotter, Alec Martinez, and Zach Whitecloud all stalwarts in their starting line, and Logan Thompson delivering some sensational performances in goal.
The Golden Knights missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history despite winning 43 games in 2021-22. That result halted their postseason streak to start their NHL existence.
Despite that failure, the Golden Knights haven’t registered a losing season in their first five years.
Without as much heritage as a lot of teams in the NHL, the Golden Knights have nevertheless made an impact in their short time playing, having reached the Stanley Cup final in 2018 where they were beaten by the Washington Capitals, and losing out in the semis in 2021 to the Montreal Canadiens.
The Golden Knights are the second youngest NHL franchise, joining the league in 2017. They are the first major sports team to represent Las Vegas and are owned by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment.
They won 51 regular season games in their inaugural campaign and made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Their 13 postseason victories that year is an NHL record for a team in their first postseason. Unfortunately, they lost the championship to the Washington Capitals in five games.
A year later, they won 43 games and were bounced off by the San Jose Sharks in round one. The Golden Knights won their second division title in 2019-20 after winning 39 games. Sadly, they fell short again as the Dallas Stars eliminated them in the Conference Finals. Vegas tallied 40 wins in 2020-21 but lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the semifinals.
The Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League and the Savannah Ghost Pirates of the ECHL are their minor league affiliates.
The Golden Knights play their home games at T-Mobile Arena, located on the Las Vegas Strip. It was opened in 2016 and can accommodate 17,500 hockey spectators. With Las Vegas being a tourist destination, the Golden Knights pull spectators from the rest of the United States and the entire world. Therefore, they get a supportive crowd that brings energy whenever needed.
The Golden Knights do not have an extensive list of rivals because of their young existence. However, they’ve met the San Jose Sharks from neighboring California in two playoff series, splitting the results. Vegas won against the Sharks in round two of the 2017-18 playoffs. A year later, San Jose defeated them in a seven-game first-round series.
