Golden Knights Beat Jets, Set NHL Expansion Team Record

The Vegas Golden Knights tied the NHL record for most wins by an expansion team in its first year with a win at Calgary on January 30th. To break the record, The Golden Knights would have to beat the Winnipeg Jets on the road on February 1st. This would be a challenge, as the Jets are the leaders of the NHL Central and are second only to Pacific Division leader Vegas in the Western Conference.

Although it required overtime, the Golden Knights were up for the challenge. David Perron scored his 13th goal of the season at the 3:57 mark of overtime to give Vegas a 3-2 win and the record 34th victory.

Vegas improved to 34-12-4 (72 points) and it’s getting to be more difficult for teams in the Pacific to catch the Golden Knights. San Jose and Anaheim are tied for second with 60 points, and Anaheim (59) and Calgary (58) are next. Vegas can set its sights on possibly being the top seed out of the West; Winnipeg has 69 points, Nashville has 67, and St. Louis has 65 over in the Central. But the Golden Knights current road trip is a tough one. They are at Minnesota (27-18-5) on February 2nd, followed by a stop in Washington (the 30-15-5 Capitals are on top in the Metropolitan Division), then at defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh on February 6th, before closing the trip in San Jose on February 8th. Vegas is at home for nine of its next 10 games after that.