The Ride Continues, Vegas Advances to Stanley Cup Final

For a little over eight months now, the Vegas Golden Knights have taken us on an unforgettable journey and have assembled an inaugural season for the history books. The successful first season which has caught everyone off guard is one that not even general manager George McPhee who helped assemble this team through the Expansion Draft could've saw coming. The ride which began in winning fashion on the road in Dallas in Vegas' season-opener on October 6, following the mass shooting which took place just a stones throw away from the Knights' home arena on October 1, will now continue onto the Stanley Cup Final. But what has been looked upon as somewhat of a Cinderella story, expands much further than just the product on the ice. What began as a pipe dream for Vegas locals and team owner Bill Foley alike, to have an NHL franchise in the city of sin, quickly evolved into a dream come true and has since then trickled into becoming the greatest story in all of sports. Since being chosen over Quebec City to become the NHL's first expansion franchise since the year 2000 and the first major professional sports franchise in Las Vegas' history, the Golden Knights who finished the regular season with an overall record of 51-24-7 to claim the Pacific Division, quickly gained the attention of the hockey world and have refused to relinquish it.

For a city that has never experienced having a professional sports franchise in either of the big four North American sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL), fans of the Golden Knights haven't had to wait long at all to witness their team endure success. Whether it's been the surprising out-of-nowhere season by castoff William Karlsson who logged an expansion team-record 43 goals this year or the spectacular season by the 33-year old Marc-Andre Fleury who reestablished himself as one of the best goaltenders in all of hockey, it's hard to pinpoint the main source of Vegas' success. And while the puck has yet to drop for the Stanley Cup Final as their Eastern Conference opponent has yet to be determined out of either the Washington Capitals or the Tampa Bay Lightning, VGK whom have already exceeded all expectations and then some, continue to win over the hearts of the entire Vegas community, serving as the perfect antidote to at least help heal the collective wound left from the October 1 shooting. The team could've been swept from the playoffs by the division rival L.A. Kings in the first round and Vegas fans would've still been more than impressed with the outcome of the season. Instead, Vegas' improbable run has helped them become just the third franchise in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, joining the 1918 Toronto Arenas who won it all and the 1968 St. Louis Blues who made it to the Final in each of their first three seasons, but failed to hoist Lord Stanley in all three attempts.

After making quick work of the Kings in a four-game sweep, followed by a round 2 triumph over the San Jose Sharks which took six games, Vegas needed only five games to dispose of the Winnipeg Jets, despite being overwhelmed on the road in the series-opener, only to win the next four and claim the Western Conference title. Vegas would get some much needed help from the most unlikeliest of heroes in the series-clinching win as Winnipeg native Ryan Reaves who was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 23 via trade, couldn't have picked a better time to notch his first goal in a Knights uniform than his game-winning score which came at 13:21 of the second period to make it a 2-1 Vegas advantage. That score would stick as goalie Marc-Andre Fleury kept Winnipeg off the board the rest of the way, helping his team advance to the Final and improve to 10-0 in the Playoffs when leading after two periods. As for Fleury, it'll be his third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final and fourth trip overall.

And now we play the waiting game to see who will be next on the menu as the Golden Knights enjoy the little time off before head coach Gerard Gallant has them prepare for the winner of the Eastern Conference which currently stands at 3 games to 2 in favor of Tampa. Regardless of who wins, Vegas has to like their chances considering they swept both teams during the regular season to go a perfect 4-0, including a signature win back in mid-January on the road in Tampa Bay against the league's best team. Though we're days away from seeing the Golden Knights in action again, you can already feel the buzz in the air and hear the chants of "Go Knights Go!" which will be in full effect come game Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. And Champions or not, the unforgettable journey this team has taken us on is one the city and fans won't soon forget.


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