March Madness: How are the Golden Knights still in first place?

The Vegas Golden Knights are an anomaly in the NHL. Midway through the season the team shattered expansion team records and continues to over preform.

I don’t know any “NHL Insiders” that could have predicted the historic season the Vegas Golden Knights are having. In the beginning of the season most fans would’ve written them off with a cliche “they are going to start losing eventually.”

Well guess what. They continue to win.

There are only nine games left for the Golden Knights to play and they are still the Pacific Division leaders. With a team headlined by players who were given away by their team, their season is among one of the most surprising things I’ve ever seen.

So how did the Golden Knights get so good?

For starters, William Karlsson is having an unforgettable year. In 162 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets Karlsson register 15 goals. In just 73 games with the Knights he has 39 goals. Not even George McPhee himself could have expected that from the young Swede.

Another reason the Knights have had success is because they are the only team in the NHL without any game tape. The point is, that teams could not game plan against Vegas as easily because the combination of players was completely different. I think earlier on in the season this was a small advantage for them.

The Vegas Golden Knights are absolutely astonishing to watch. They are the definition of a team that finds ways to win. While I do praise them for this, I believe their luck will run out in the playoffs.

The NHL playoffs are a completely different animal than the regular season. The game is faster and the intensity is heightened to a degree that gives me butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it.

In the playoffs every player finishes their checks. In the playoffs one bad play can mean the end of the season. This kind of pressure is better suited for veteran teams. The Knights are young and inexperienced. Not to mention the fact that their defense is not playoff ready.

I do believe the Vegas Golden Knights can make it to the second round of the playoffs. This belief is based on having confidence in Marc Andre-Fleury. He is a stud veteran goaltender who has proven his prowess before.

The only caveat to my prediction that, the Vegas Golden Knights won’t win more than one playoff series, is that every time someone has predicted the Knights to falter, they have shattered expectations.

Only time will tell…