Vegas Golden Knights Clinch Playoff Berth in First Year of Existence

The Vegas Golden Knights have exceeded all expectations this season and the first year expansion team reached a milestone by clinching a playoff berth with a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on March 26th.

Although the Golden Knights have cooled down a bit as the season has moved along, they are still in first place in the Pacific Division with 103 points. They trail only Nashville (107 points) in the Western Conference standings, although Winnipeg is just one point behind Vegas.

The San Jose Sharks are in 2nd place in the Pacific Division with 97 points. The Sharks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in a shootout and have won eight in a row and nine of 10.

The schedule is more favorable for Vegas in terms of clinching the Division. San Jose plays at Vegas on March 31st, and the Golden Knights play St. Louis at home on the 30th. The Golden Knights remaining four regular season games are all against teams that have been eliminated from the playoff chase (Arizona, at Vancouver, at Edmonton, and at Calgary). Besides the game at Vegas, San Jose is at St. Louis and at Nashville, and has home games with Dallas, Colorado, and Minnesota; all still have a shot at the playoffs or have clinched a spot.