(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)
Today is the first day of November and the Golden Knights are atop the Pacific Division standings. Quite like the way they were at this time in 2022 and 2023. For the third straight season, Vegas has built a nice lead for themselves in the opening month of the season. Under coach Bruce Cassidy, the Golden Knights are an astounding 24-5-2 in October. By stacking early season points, Vegas has rarely been at risk of making the postseason the past two campaigns. In all likelihood, they will return for a third straight.
Dating back 20 seasons, 67% of NHL teams that were in a postseason position on November 1st went on the qualify for the playoffs. Of course, Vegas is one of those teams with their glasses more than halfway full. Considered contenders Colorado, Edmonton, and Nashville are up bleeps creek at the moment.
Western Conference Playoff Teams By November, 1st
- Winnipeg Jets: 18 Points
- Vegas Golden Knights: 15 Points
- Dallas Stars: 14 Points
- Los Angeles Kings: 14 Points
- Minnesota Wild: 14 Points
- Utah Hockey Club: 12 Points
- Vancouver Canucks: 11 Points
- Calgary Flames: 11 Points
The Golden Knights have had outstanding starts to seasons prior to Cassidy’s hiring, however they weren’t as consistent year-to-year. After going 8-3-0 in his first season as VGK coach, Gerard Gallant’s teams went 13-11-2 in his second and third Octobers combined. The franchise’s second head coach Pete DeBoer got off to a great start in his first full season with Vegas. DeBoer’s second season began with a 4-4-0 record in October. Cassidy’s .806 points percentage in October is far and away the best since 2022.
VGK’s October Record By Season
- 2017-18:(8-3-0) 16 Points
- 2018-19: (5-6-1) 11 Points
- 2019-20: (8-5-1) 17 Points
- 2020-21: (5-1-1) 11 Points
- 2021-22: (4-4-0) 8 Points
- 2022-23: (8-2-0) 16 Points
- 2023-24: (9-0-1) 19 Points
- 2024-25: (7-3-1) 15 Points
Only once in franchise history have the Golden Knights failed to make the playoffs. In DeBoer’s last season with Vegas, his team narrowly missed the postseason by three points. No surprise, as his team was on the outside looking in by November 1st. If history repeats itself, which it commonly does, the Golden Knights should comfortably qualify for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.
A golden performance from the @GoldenKnights gives them their first win of 2024-25! ⚔️ #NHLFaceOff pic.twitter.com/RwbtaKA2Py
— NHL (@NHL) October 10, 2024
In November the Golden Knights will play 14 games, nine will be on the road. Until Vegas works out their road trip woes, recording wins at T-Mobile Arena will help them maintain their postseason pace. However, Cassidy’s team usually takes a slight step back in the second month of a season so it’s vitally important to begin winning outside of the 702.
Alex
Same with Gallant – meaningless… The goalies and the defense stink…
SMH
You know, you’re right – the Knights will never ever win a Cup with Cassidy as the coach, Hill as the goalie, and defensemen like Pietrangelo, Theodore, McNabb, Whitecloud, and Hague. Oh, wait a minute…
knights fan in minny
how do you know
ThG
you are only one here that stinks, well and one other person, you need to MANDO it up. Get every crevice and crack, and don’t forget your piehole because that is where most of the stink comes from
TS
SMH, that’s a GOTCHA!
Emmanuel
by “defense” are you referring to the blueline or the entire team?
hdbiker7851
Articles of this nature have a tendency to bring out the worse in posters and serve very little if any purpose. Looking in the rear-view mirror only points out where you have been not where you are going. It’s like saying we won last game guess we can take tonight off. Flames vs Kings game is a perfect example. They had two wins in Florida trip in the bag until they took their foot off the gas. Hindsight has no bearing on what’s ahead.
ThG
new day
fresh start
Tim
In any sport playing a prevent defense usually backfires hence our two games in Florida was a good example of how to give games away.
ThG
⚔️ just win baby ⚔️