Most fans and personnel around the league agree that the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are a different beast compared to the regular season. It’s more physical, the stakes are higher, and it’s where you want to be as a hockey player in the latter half of April and May.
The Vegas Golden Knights clinched the playoffs on April 1 despite their loss to the Edmonton Oilers. With the Calgary Flames’ regulation loss to the Utah Hockey Club, they secured their spot.
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As the standings sit now, the Golden Knights would take on the steaming red-hot St. Louis Blues, who have won 12 straight and many could argue are the best team in the NHL right now.
The playoffs are the ultimate stage for drama, and a potential first-round matchup between the Golden Knights and Blues promises to be a thriller. With six games left, anything can happen, but let’s break down what this series could look like and how the Golden Knights might fare.
Blues Are Surging at the Right Time
The Blues surpassed their franchise record of wins in a row of 12 on April 5, the last time they won 11 or more being in 2018-19, the season they eventually went on to win the Stanley Cup. They are led by Robert Thomas, who has been the heart of their surging offense. He has scored four goals and 23 points during this streak.
“It’s been a fun ride,” Thomas said. “We’ve beaten some really good teams and we’re playing really good hockey. We just got to consistently be there every single night, and that’s what makes a great team, and that’s what we’re on our way to be.”
Thomas is right when he says they’ve beaten some really good teams because they have. Those teams include the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, and Montreal Canadiens, all fighting to stay alive in the playoff push.
They are also averaging 4.18 goals per game during this stretch, which puts them first during this span. For reference, the Washington Capitals lead that category throughout the season with 3.62.
If there’s a time to heat up for the playoffs, it’s now, and the Blues have been a force to be reckoned with.
Blues X-Factors to Watch
Thomas is one of many threats on this Blues team. As mentioned, in this stretch of 12 games, he’s been a different animal, and while he’s played a big part, it hasn’t been just him.
Dylan Holloway, who has found multitudes of success in St. Louis this season, is right behind Thomas with five goals and 15 points in 12 games. The offer sheet that was dealt to Holloway (along with Philip Broberg) has looked better each game this season, and Holloway has played a significant role during this stretch with the Blues.
Jake Neighbours, Jordan Kyrou, and Cam Fowler are also putting up impressive numbers, which is yet another reason they’ve surged the way they have. Another reason is the man in net, Jordan Binnington. The 31-year-old Canadian netminder hasn’t started each game of this stretch, but he has a 7-0-0 record with a goals-against average of 1.84 and a save percentage of .931 in his team’s last 12 games. He’s capable in the playoffs, as shown during the Blues’ run to the 2019 Stanley Cup.
How Will Golden Knights Fare in Potential Showdown With Blues?
The question now is: How would the Golden Knights fair in a potential showdown with the Blues? We have a small sample size this season, with both teams taking one from each other and splitting the season series 1-1.
The Blues took the first game, winning 5-4 in a high-scoring clash between the two teams. The next meeting, just three days later, was more disciplined, as it was a 4-2 win for the Golden Knights.
There’s not a lot to dissect between these two games, but these are two very good hockey teams, especially as we narrow down in the regular season. The Golden Knights, while not on fire as they were later in March, are 7-3-0 in their past 10 games, and, of course, the Blues are at 10-0-0, winning their last 12 straight.
These two high-octane offenses would make for an entertaining series, but given the dominant force Vegas has been on home ice (27-9-3), the Golden Knights would have the edge. By no means does that mean it’ll be an easy series if this happens, but the Golden Knights, on paper, have the better odds. But we shall see.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that if this potential Round 1 matchup were to happen, it could spell problems for the Golden Knights. Yes, the Golden Knights are one of the best teams in the league, but when teams heat up at the right time, it doesn’t matter where they finish in the standings. With how both teams are playing, along with the teams around them, this series seems likely, but we’ll see.
Vegas will likely play its first playoff game this season on April 19 at T-Mobile Arena.
