Every NHL schedule has soft spots, and playoff-contending teams must take full advantage of them. Last year, we identified VGK’s three easiest stretches and they went 6-1-0, 4-2-2, and 2-6-0 through them. The 2-6-0 run right after the deadline nearly cost the team its season and ultimately cost Bruce Cassidy his job. It’s one thing to lose games; it’s another to lose ones you are supposed to win.
Here’s a look at the three easiest groups of games for VGK this season.
March 9th to March 31st
Vs SJS, vs PHI, vs NYR, vs WPG, vs SEA, at ANA, at SEA, at VAN, at CGY, vs VAN
It’s an extremely long stretch of games following the Trade Deadline, but it involves almost all non-playoff Pacific Division teams. The trip to Anaheim in the middle of it is the only real challenge, and it comes with two days off following a five-game homestand. This stretch is the perfect opportunity for the Golden Knights to rattle off at least seven wins and take control of either their playoff destiny, the division, or maybe even the Presidents’ Trophy. Honestly, the entire month of March is almost comically easy, which is a great time for Vegas to get red hot.
September 29th to October 10th
Vs CHI, vs ANA, at VAN, at SEA, vs TOR, vs LAK
The Golden Knights couldn’t have asked for a much better start to the Ryan Craig era than this stretch of six games. The opener is a date with one of the worst teams in the league, who will be missing their best player (Connor Bedard). Then Anaheim comes to Vegas to open their season, while the Golden Knights will already have a game win under their belts. Then it’s a trip to the Pacific Northwest to a pair of buildings in which VGK have a combined 16-1-5 record. Toronto and Los Angeles await when the Golden Knights return home, which aren’t the easiest games, but a healthy Vegas team should be able to handle them.
February 1st to February 18th
At CGY, at EDM, vs CGY, vs DET, vs CBJ
The lead-up to the Stadium Series game in Dallas is about as soft as can possibly be for the Golden Knights. First off, the bye week sits right in the middle of this stretch, so there will be a nice chance to recover and gear up for the second “half” of the season. The trip to Alberta isn’t always the easiest for Vegas but usually they find a way to pull at least one win out of it. Then, Calgary, Detroit, and Columbus come to T-Mobile Arena with all three likely looking forward to selling at the deadline. If the Golden Knights are running hot heading into this stretch, they have a real chance to sweep before they take the mega stage at JerryWorld.
*We’ll take a look at the toughest stretches next.*
Emmanuel
‘Cause they are Pacific heavy stretches……
Abdullah
Disaster season ahead
larry
While I have hope that the youngsters from HSK will help make a difference and make VGK a better team next year, to coin a phrase such as ‘easiest stretch’ is a bit laughable considering in no way can the team be looked at as anything resembling a juggernaut, its a team that will have to work for everything they try to achieve, and to even use the term Presidents Trophy and this VGK team in the same sentence leaves me speechless.
VGK fan
Hit the nail on the head about the possibility of contending for presidents cup, on paper it sure doesnt seem likely, plus i dont share that outlook on the players from Henderson being that impactful .