Golden Knights’ 5 Potential Playoff Opponents & How They Match Up

It’s been a roller coaster of a season for the Vegas Golden Knights.

They acquired Mitch Marner in the offseason. They entered the Olympic Break leading the Pacific Division. Then, just 52 days later, they fired head coach Bruce Cassidy and replaced him with John Tortorella. But despite all the chaos, they officially punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche last night.

Advertisement

There is still much to be determined. Per hockeystats.com, the Golden Knights still have five potential round one opponents with less than a week remaining in the regular season. However, a frontrunner is finally emerging from the rest of the pack.

Let’s take a look at the Golden Knights’ five potential playoff opponents and run the numbers.

Matchup Probability: 64%

Record: 1-2

Scoring Edge: 10-5, Mammoth

In their second year as a Salt Lake City-based franchise, the Mammoth clinched a playoff berth. The Pacific Division isn’t settled yet, but the Mammoth are locked into WC1 and set to play the winner. They’re a fast, versatile team with high offensive upside and a new mammoth-themed fanboni titled the ‘Zammoth.’

Advertisement

While the Golden Knights are certainly the more experienced of the two teams, the Mammoth are young and hungry with something to prove. They’ve also gotten hot at the right time with a five-game winning streak, where they outscored their opponents 30-18 and boasted a power play with a 39.1% success rate.

Matchup Probability: 17%

Record: 0-1-2

Scoring Edge: 12-9, Ducks

Right now, the Ducks look increasingly vulnerable. They’re fresh off a six-game losing streak and are 1-5-1 in their last seven games. During that six-game losing streak, they were outscored 29-15. The Ducks have a very young core, which is something a team of seasoned veterans could take advantage of.

Advertisement

On the other hand, Anaheim also has Joel Quenneville behind…