With the win last night the Golden Knights improved to 46-21-5 on the season, good for 97 points with 10 games to go. They still haven’t clinched a playoff berth officially, and the Pacific Division hats remain boxed up, but according to All Star head coach Gerard Gallant, the objective of the regular season has been completed.
It’s good any time you win a hockey game and it’s a big win tonight. Get to 97 points, that was the goal. It didn’t start out pretty but at the end of the day we played a real good second and third period and that was a key for us. -Gallant
Think about it, an expansion team who was projected by just about everybody (including this ridiculously biased website) to finish near the bottom of the league came into the season with a goal of reaching 97 points, and they hit it, with three weeks of games left on their schedule.
Since the league went to 82 games and 16 playoff teams, no team with at least 97 points has ever been left out of the playoffs.
Officially, the Golden Knights are seven points away from clinching a playoff berth, still needing to eliminate two Pacific teams or three Western Conference teams. (You can read more about that here) But as far as we’re concerned, playoff hockey is coming to Vegas. Just don’t tell Turk quite yet…
You said 97 points was the goal for the season, so am I allowed to say playoffs yet? -SinBin.vegas
You can say it but there’s no “x” beside our name right now, so that’s the key. -Gallant
So I am allowed to say it? -SinBin.vegas
Getting closer to it. -Gallant
Close enough, we’re doing it…
The Golden Knights are going to the playoffs!!!
Mark
Officially on Thursday!!! (Fingers crossed)
Eric
You and Gerard need your own sitcom!
Bruce
The game right now is not just to get to 97 points and make the playoffs but to build momentum so as to peak as we enter the playoffs. Getting healthy is important and trying to retain home ice advantage as long as possible will be the telling points for the remaining games. “Go Knights Go”
BrianB
Pretty sure the ‘Get to 97 points…’ comment was the goal for the day, not the season. As in, Gallant’s one-game-at-a-time, one-day-at-a-time mentality for the team.
Ken Boehlke
Yeah I’ve heard that from a few people. However, when I reiterated it to him he didn’t correct me. I think he would have if I was off. Oh well, PLAYOFFS!!!
Slr1982
The past few weeks have been both uncharted territory, as well as hindsighted journey. Being a 1st year franchise, we have no history or stats to compare to. While no one, whether you are a fan or a player likes to lose. The past month has done a few things that should help as we head towards the playoffs. The first thing being that due to all the injuries and the new acquisitions, the coaching staff and players have had to mix and match lines. This has given valuable information and experience moving forward, no matter what happens injury or matchupwise. The second thing is the fans have experienced this journey with the team and are learning to diehard supportive fans rather than fair weather fans.
Michael
I really want the Pacific. If we lose in the playoffs (let’s face it, they are a lottery to some degree), I want there to be a banner hanging in the rafters that commemorates this season, even if it is just a division title.
And…the Kings have never won the Pacific, just sayin’.
Ken Boehlke
The Pacific is all but over. 8 points in 10 games is an insane climb.
Mark
I agree it is all but over, but remember they technically still have 2 H2H games left, so it can still get dicey.
But if the Knights win Thursday, that will basically shut the door on it.
PhiSig150
Enjoy the moment. Season has been amazing. Playoffs is just icing on the cake. Even if they get swept can we honestly be upset. I suppose to become a “good” fan base we’re supposed to piss and moan but how could you this year??? Too special not going to let anything ruin it for me
Jonathan
It has been a fantastic season, amazing to watch, so I’m not trying to take away anything from that but as with any team your expectations are reset with success. Just like my Yankees last year, I didn’t expect them to go anywhere, but when they went up 3-2 on Houston, sure, I was disappointed when we didn’t make the WS especially because I think we would have smashed the Dodgers. You want to peak at the end of the year, even if your early year wasn’t as strong, and Vegas is doing the opposite recently. The 4-1 road trip covered up the fact they played some pretty lazy hockey during that stretch, but coming away with wins is what matters. Then, they dropped two pathetic efforts at home before yesterday. The point is, it’s great they’ll make the playoffs, but what they really need right now is to rattle off a confidence-inspiring 5 or 6 game win streak and show they “found it” again. My Blazers are on a 13-game winning streak to move from 7th to a firm hold on 3rd in the West, which is exactly what you want to do at season’s end. Play your best. I do think they’ve suffered from some bad luck, though, as outside of the last game (a win, no less) they’ve actually badly outshot a number of teams and still lost. A few goal tenders have played literally the game of their lives against us, and it makes Vegas look like we suddenly forgot how to score, but this is the most luck-based sport I have ever followed. There’s really almost no luck involved in a game like basketball or football, and baseball has some definite luck (guessing which pitch, ground rule doubles, size of a ballpark, you name it), but hockey is the worst offender. Puck off the post, puck off your own teammate magically goes in, puck off an opponent goes in, goalie guesses correctly, bouncing puck doesn’t settle just right, it does settle just right, etc. It’s why there’s a lot of variation even when you’re playing good hockey, I think.
Slr1982
There are a lot of valid points here. Yes, I am sure getting so far ahead caused some coasting or taking the foot off the gas. The teams we are facing are fighting for their playoff lives. Hot Goalies, reflections and flanks off the goal are all part of every teams game. Certain teams have figured out a way to slow the Knights down and force the wide to less effective shots. Yes we outshoot but lose, that’s because the outside shots are low percentage. We are not the only team that has struggled or been challenged. Tampa Bay and Boston both lost to Buffalo last month, home and away. Tampa Bay had been pulling wins out in OT or Shootout. The Knights will be fine. However, they will win a series, maybe 2 but I doubt if they go much further. Playoff experience, that comes from teams and player being together through multiple season and knowing how to handle pressure, setbacks is not something that the Knights have. While I would love to see the Cup in 1, I don’t see it happening.
Love this Team, love this season, support them as they go through growing pains.