Could the Kings end the Golden Knights’ playoff run before it gets started?

For much of the season, the Vegas Golden Knights have looked infallible. But their two-game set with the Los Angeles Kings proved that they can be beaten.

Nobody expected the Vegas Golden Knights to be where they are right now. The Golden Knights are a team lacking top-tier stars that was formed together through the expansion draft. History has shown time and again that expansion teams are supposed to fail in their first season. Yet the Golden Knights have dared their fans to dream by setting milestones seemingly every game.

While it’s not exactly the same, we have seen Vegas’ story before — just in another league. Last MLS season, Atlanta United caught everyone off guard when they became the second highest-scoring team in the league en route to a playoff appearance.

Like the Golden Knights, Atlanta United built their team through the expansion draft and through shrewd business moves by their general manager. They had an intimidating home advantage that opponents dreaded. And they blew past preseason expectations when they made it to the MLS Playoffs.

So, how did their season end? They lost in the first round to the Columbus Crew, getting shut out after racking up 70 goals in the regular season. And even though their fans were singing all game long, they couldn’t push their team over the top. Suddenly, all of their hard work in that first season had come undone. And while their fans wouldn’t like to admit it, they expected more from their team.

Could the Golden Knights suffer the same fate as Atlanta United? Until recently, it didn’t look like it.

But after losing to the Los Angeles Kings in a home-and-home, they should be dreading the idea of playing them in the first round — or anytime in the playoffs.

This could all be reactionary, since it’s rare for any team to beat the Golden Knights in a season series. They did beat the Kings twice earlier this year, while the Kings have been roundly mocked for having exactly one playoff win in the last three years, but this is a much different team.

For starters, the Kings didn’t have Jeff Carter in either of those two games. He adds so much to his team when he’s in the lineup. When healthy, he’s one of the best pure goalscorers in the NHL. But his playmaking ability cannot be underestimated, as he has turned Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli into legitimate scoring threats ever since they became a trio in the 2014 playoffs.

After being sidelined for much of the season, Carter has two goals in nine games — both of them against the Golden Knights.

The Knights’ best attribute is their depth. They can comfortably roll out four lines, while their top line of Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Reilly Smith has unexpectedly become one of the best trios in hockey.

While that’s a great thing to have in the playoffs, what matters more is experience and starpower. This Kings core has plenty of the former, and despite how well Vegas’ top six has played, are you really going to trust them over LA’s top six in the playoffs?

And sure, the Knights have a very experienced goaltender in Marc-Andre Fleury who’s capable of taking them on a deep run by himself if he has to. But as we saw in their 3-2 overtime loss, he’s not unbeatable. The Kings got to him by creating a ton of pressure in the dying stages of the game, and despite his best efforts, he cracked.

The last thing to consider is how these teams fared at the trade deadline. Tomas Tatar could prove to be a good pickup for the Knights, and a move that bolsters their depth. But we have yet to see the return on investment.

Their other acquisition, Ryan Reaves, has been more than just a throwaway piece in the three-team Derick Brassard deal. He was a liability in the Knights’ 4-1 loss to the Kings. In the third period, down two goals and trying to string together a comeback, he took two penalties that put his teammates behind the eight-ball. All told, he had four penalty minutes in 9:18 of ice time.

Try as they might to shelter him, he’ll still find a way to negatively impact a game with plays like this:

It’s been a different story with the Kings. The Tobias Rieder trade was initially criticized because of how well Darcy Kuemper was playing. But Rieder could provide some solid third-line scoring, while nobody is complaining about the Kings’ backup situation after seeing how well Jack Campbell played in his first start.

As for Dion Phaneuf, what more can you say? He’s been a changed man ever since he came to the Kings. He has five points in eight games, and is on the second pairing where he belongs. And in the 3-2 win against the Golden Knights, he proved how much of a difference-maker he can be:

Before Phaneuf, the Kings were fighting for their playoff lives. They have since vaulted themselves into third in the Pacific, although it’s still a dogfight with five other teams, and are on a collision course to face the Golden Knights in the playoffs.

Next: 10 reasons Stanley Cup Playoffs are better than NBA Playoffs

A lot can still happen over the last month of the regular season. And if the Knights go on a deep run or the Kings miss the playoffs, this piece will be perfect fodder for Old Takes Exposed. But if their last two head-to-head meetings proved anything, it’s that the Knights can be beaten, and that the Kings have the formula to take them down.

Just don’t be that surprised if Vegas loses in the first round. Every team’s record gets reset to zero in the playoffs — all you have to do is get in.