Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025 | 11:21 p.m.
The Vegas Golden Knights have the best record in the NHL.
Vegas’ 3-1 win Saturday night over the visiting Buffalo Sabres coupled with the Winnipeg Jets falling to the Detroit Red Wings gave the Golden Knights the standings push they needed.
The Golden Knights have 57 points; the Jets 56.
There are still three months left in the regular season, but the Golden Knights are in position to claim a piece of hardware they’ve never won in the franchise’s eight-year existence: the Presidents’ Trophy. The trophy is awarded to the team with the most regular-season points.
Vegas has been extremely close to winning it before. At the end of the 2020-21 season, it was tied with the Colorado Avalanche for the league lead, but the tiebreaker was awarded to the Avalanche, the team with more regulation wins.
While trophies aren’t on the Golden Knights’ minds in January, the team is acknowledging the fact they’re playing the game “the right way.”
“We’ve got a lot of good leadership in here, and guys keeping us accountable,” defenseman Noah Hanifin said. “They’re making sure no matter the score or the situation, we’re playing the right way. That’s been really important for us.”
One of the most significant impacts to the Golden Knights’ success is the consistent production they’ve been getting on the blue line. From the first to the fourth line, everyone has contributed.
“I feel right now that our blue line has continuity and has for a while now,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “It’s the same six guys every night, same pairs, and there’s a clear understanding of what they can do, their abilities and what they can get away with.”
Victor Olofsson missed Saturday’s game due to illness, seeing Tanner Pearson move up to the first line and Tanner Laczynski get the call-up from Henderson.
Pearson now has five points in four games, picking up two in Saturday’s win, and Laczynski scored his first goal in over two years.
The Golden Knights share the understanding that while every game may not be “perfect,” finding a way to win is critical.
“We understand that you’re not gonna have your best every night,” Jack Eichel said. “Whether you’re not gonna have your best legs or the puck is not gonna feel great, but we’ve found different ways to win. Different guys have stepped up.”
There is some superstition about winning the trophy, as only eight teams have gone on to hoist the Stanley Cup after winning the Presidents’ Trophy. A Presidents’ Trophy winner hasn’t lifted the Stanley Cup in the same season since 2012-13.
“It’s good when you get on a run like this,” Eichel said. “There’s some confidence in the (locker) room. You expect to win every game, and that’s the mentality of our group.”
“We go out and expect to win every hockey game. We try to put our best foot forward.”