For the eighth time in their seasons of existence, the Vegas Golden Knights are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Golden Knights enter the tournament as the second seed in the Western Conference, as well as the Pacific Division champions. Their postseason starts on Sunday evening, as the Golden Knights welcome the Utah Mammoth to open the series. Let’s jump into the game preview and get the fun started. Ready. Set. Vegas!
Golden Knights’ Playoff Gameday Preview: Game 1 vs. Mammoth (Series Tied 0-0)
The Golden Knights and Mammoth open not only the series but also their first Vegas/Utah playoff rivalry. Sunday is their initial postseason meeting.
The all-time series is 3-3. The Mammoth won two of three meetings this season.
- Mitch Marner – Jack Eichel – Mark Stone
- Ivan Barbashev – Brett Howden – Pavel Dorofeyev
- Reilly Smith – Tomas Hertl – Keegan Kolesar
- Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Colton Sissons
- Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
- Noah Hanifin – Rasmus Andersson
- Jeremy Lauzon – Kaedan Korczak
- Carter Hart/Adin Hill
Golden Knights’ Regular-Season Team Leaders
Eichel led the team in points (90) and assists (63). Dorofeyev led in goals with 37. Lauzon had 89 penalty minutes. Stone posted a plus-26 rating.
Between the pipes, Akira Schmid led with 16 wins and a 2.59 goals-against average (GAA). Hart led the team with a .891 save percentage (SV%).
Storyline #1 – New Coach Momentum
The Golden Knights fired Bruce Cassidy on March 29 and hired John Tortorella. Tortorella led the team to a 7-0-1 finish and a division title.
With the postseason underway, can they sustain momentum? Tortorella brings a 56-64 playoff record, having coached four teams in addition to Vegas, including helping the Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup in 2004.
Tortorella has been a difference maker in the past. Can he do the same with Vegas? Can an experienced head coach take an experienced roster and make noise in the playoffs?
Storyline #2 – Do Not Think Too Much About the Experience Factor
The Golden Knights are used to being in the playoffs. While some faces have come and gone over the years, the core group was part of the inaugural team that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2018 and the Cup-winning team in 2023.
For the Mammoth, there is very little playoff experience. Only three players remain in the organization from the 2020 Playoff team. However, there are multiple champions on the roster. Mikhail Sergachev, Nate Schmidt, Ian Cole, Kevin Stenlund, and Vitek Vanecek.
The Golden Knights have more experience, but do not overlook the experience on the Utah roster. As a result, the Golden Knights should not go into Game 1 looking to intimidate the Mammoth, because it may not work. The Mammoth’s offense can score fast, so it would be better for Vegas to simply play its usual game instead of trying to see if the Mammoth can be intimidated. Keeping it simple should be their Game 1 strategy.
Storyline #3 – Hart Needs to Make a Statement
The Golden Knights had some inconsistencies in goal this season. If there is a weakness on this very good Vegas team, it is the goaltending.
As a result, Hart needs to have a statement game to open the series. He has played well since Tortorella took over, but that must continue in Game 1. Again, the Mammoth have an elite offense. If they can expose Vegas’s goaltending, they will have a strong chance to win the series. On the other hand, Hart can flip momentum early with a strong performance in Game 1.
How to Watch
The game starts at 7:00 P.M. Pacific Time. For the first round of the playoffs, games can be seen on the local Vegas sports station, SCRIPPS. The game can also be seen on ESPN.
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