The Vegas Golden Knights played mediocre hockey for most of the 2025-26 regular season, but are suddenly one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the third time since entering the National Hockey League in 2017.
Vegas won the Pacific Division with 95 points, the only division in the NHL without a team that reached the 100-point plateau.
Furthermore, the Golden Knights (39-26-17) won just 39 games with non-playoff teams like the Washington Capitals (43), New York Islanders (43), New Jersey Devils (42), Detroit Red Wings (41), Columbus Blue Jackets (40) and Florida Panthers (40) all earning more victories.
What saved the Golden Knights was their 17 overtime/shootout losses, which ranked second in the NHL behind the Los Angeles Kings, who also found themselves in the playoffs with just 35 wins.
Vegas ranked 14th in the NHL with 265 goals and 13th in goals against with 250.
The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche, who currently trail the Golden Knights 3-0 in the Western Conference Final, finished first in the NHL in both of those statistical categories.
If the Golden Knights can finish off the Avs and then get the better of the Carolina Hurricanes or Montreal Canadiens, they would become just the sixth team to win the Stanley Cup since the NHL moved to an 82-game schedule in 1995-96 (aside from years when the regular season was shortened due to lockouts or the COVID-19 pandemic) after finishing the regular season with fewer than 100 points.
They would also become the third team to accomplish the feat with 95 points or fewer and the second team to win the championship after winning fewer than 40 games during an 82-game regular season. The 1996-97 Detroit Red Wings did so after posting a 38-26-18 record.
Teams to win Stanley Cup after recording less than 100 points (82 game season)
| Team | Year | Regular Season Record | Regular Season Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Panthers | 2024-25 | 47-34-4 | 98 |
| St. Louis Blues | 2018-19 | 45-28-9 | 99 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 2011-12 | 40-27-15 | 95 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 2008-09 | 45-28-9 | 99 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 1996-97 | 38-26-18 | 94 |
The obvious turning point for the Golden Knights came with eight games left in the regular season when head coach Bruce Cassidy, who led Vegas to their first Stanley Cup win in 2023, was replaced by veteran bench boss John Tortorella on March 29.
The 67-year-old Tortorella, who has coached four different teams since winning a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, led the Golden Knights to a 7-0-1 record down the stretch to win the division title and earn his first playoff appearance since 2020 when he coached the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Vegas defeated the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks, both in six games, in the first two rounds before taking the first three contests from Colorado in the Western Conference Final, pushing Tortorella’s total record with the Golden Knights to 18-4-1.
Former Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner has been a major factor as well, recording a playoff-leading 21 points (seven goals and 14 assists) over 15 games.
Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden have also been massive offensive contributors as they are tied for the NHL lead with 10 goals apiece.
Howden, 28, scored just 12 goals in 58 games during the regular season. Dorofeyev, a 25-year-old power-play specialist, netted 37 goals (20 on the power play) over 82 games.
Game 4 goes Tuesday night in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena.
