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The Vegas Golden Knights have held onto first place in the Pacific Division for most of the 2024-25 regular season. Vegas doesn't have many reasons for concern, but injuries have taken a toll on the Knights. They've lost Shea Theodore and William Karlsson at times this season, but the consensus was always to wait and see them at full health. Significantly improved play from Jack Eichel and Adin Hill has been helping the Golden Knights' Stanley Cup case, and Vegas has been dominant over the past two weeks. It comes at a perfect time for Bruce Cassidy and the front office.
The Golden Knights' six-game winning streak began at home against the Boston Bruins on March 20. They have been dominating teams, scoring fewer than four goals just once in their most recent win against the Nashville Predators. The team totaled 28 goals over the six contests, led by Eichel with six goals and seven assists.
It's hard to sit here and imagine the Golden Knights continuing that for the rest of the spring. Still, consistent offensive performances throughout the playoffs will be the key to beating teams like the Edmonton Oilers and whoever comes out of the Central Division.
The Golden Knights' schedule over the remaining three weeks is quite easy as well. Long road trips can be an issue for a team battling injuries all season. However, Vegas finished its Central and Eastern trips for this year, ending the campaign with all its games out West. The favorable schedule should lead to a rested and ready Golden Knights team when the playoffs kick off on April 19.
Golden Knights got healthy at the right time
The NHL's worst nightmare happened in Canada's first game at the 4 Nations Face-Off when Shea Theodore suffered a tournament-ending injury. The last thing the league needed was a high-profile injury to dampen the tournament. Matthew Tkachuk also went down with an ailment that could alter the course of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. However, the good news for the Golden Knights is that Theodore is back to full health and priming for the playoff push.
Vegas has won all three games since Theodore returned, and the star defenseman has three assists. They have outscored their opponents 13-5 over those three games, which has plenty to do with Theodore's presence in the defensive unit.
William Karlsson's return is also something Vegas can't overlook. Karlsson returned before the Bruins game that kicked off the recent six-game winning streak and has six assists over that span. Vegas struggled through the injuries because of their lack of depth down the lineup, which Karlsson helps to fix.
It doesn't hurt that Karlsson returned to play in the middle of his longtime running mate Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights acquired Smith at the trade deadline as one of the few moves they could make under a salary cap crunch, primarily due to his familiarity with the group. Smith was one of the original Golden Knights and has proven to be a great fit. While it took some time for him to get going, he also contributed three points over his past four games.
A healthy, motivated, and gelled together Golden Knights squad should be worrisome for the rest of the Western Conference. Vegas would love to add another Stanley Cup to its resume — which would be a second championship in three years on the strip. There's a ton of parity in the NHL today, but that could very well become a reality come June.
