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NHL Playoffs 2021: 3 reasons Golden Knights will win the Stanley Cup

By Dave Stevenson

May 7, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner (90) celebrates with teammates after defeating the St. Louis Blues in overtime at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
May 7, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner (90) celebrates with teammates after defeating the St. Louis Blues in overtime at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /
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Vegas Golden Knights players celebrate (Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports) /

Is this the season the Vegas Golden Knights will take the Stanley Cup on an infamous trip down the Vegas Strip?

In their first season as an NHL franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights nearly pulled off the ultimate upset by winning the Stanley Cup in their inaugural season. However, they fell to the Washington Capitals in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final. Despite having a lot of success since then, Vegas has failed to pull off an appropriate encore to their first season, losing in the first round in 2019 and the Western Conference Final in 2020.

Ever since they became a franchise, the Knights have been in it to win it. They’ve made bold moves throughout the existence. For example, the Knights traded for Tomas Tatar in 2018 only to flip him for Max Pacioretty a few months later. They also traded for Mark Stone in 2019 and proceeded to sign him to an eight-year extension.

Those moves have already paid off in terms of regular-season success, but ultimately, the goal is to win a Stanley Cup as soon as possible. The Knights are built to win the Stanley Cup this season, and here are three reasons why.

3. Balance

The Golden Knights are, to quote Thanos from Infinity War, “perfectly balanced, as all things should be”.

Only two teams in the NHL rank in the top five in goals scored and in the top five in fewest goals allowed. Vegas ranks third in goals per game (3.39) and second in fewest goals allowed per game (2.22). The other team? The Colorado Avalanche.

Hockey is all about balance. You can’t just be good at scoring goals or not allowing goals. To win the Stanley Cup, you’ve got to do a bit of both. The Golden Knights have proven they can do both. While their underlying numbers aren’t quite as strong as they have been in the past, they’re still seventh in the NHL in expected goals percentage entering May 10.

Last season, the Knights couldn’t get goals when they needed them. If this regular season is predictive of what’s to come, that certainly won’t be an issue in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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