Founded in 2017-18, the Vegas Golden Knights have never had a losing season. Also, VGK made the playoffs in five of their first six NHL seasons with a 2023-24 Stanley Cup championship. Now, the Golden Knights are on their way to another playoff berth and a full postseason defense of their championship. Head coach Bruce Cassidy has proven to be the perfect fit. Following the Stanley Cup championship in his first season. Cassidy now faces the NHL odds challenge of a team suffering from a bit of a Stanley Cup hangover and a win percentage drop.
NHL New York Rangers 2024 Stanley Cup Odds
| New York Rangers | Odds |
|---|---|
| 2024 Stanley Cup Odds: | +1000 |
Vegas Golden Knights Team Overview
At the approach of the All-Star Break, the Vegas Golden Knights are 28-14-6 straight up and 15-27 over/under the online betting total. Also, Vegas is 2nd in the Pacific Division playoff standings. Vegas is seven points behind the Vancouver Canucks in the Pacific Division playoff race. Late on, Vegas has covered four out of their last five games. While the Golden Knights have gone under the total in six of its previous eight matchups.
Vegas has NHL rankings of 18th for goals scored and 17th for power play efficiency. In comparison on defense, the Golden Knights have NHL rankings of 6th for goals against and 14th for penalty killing. Vegas and coach Butch Cassidy have some issues to address. The power play has been mediocre, with penalty-killing too inconsistent. The defensive corps allows too many shots, but the goaltending has bailed them out. Also, Vegas has a lack of secondary scoring and an elite finisher. Still, Vegas is a leading favorite on the future market and a proven champion that will be a difficult out for anyone they face.
Vegas Golden Knights Key Players, Goaltending, and Coach
Head coach Bruce Cassidy also served in that role for the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins. He led the Bruins to the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, where Boston lost in seven games to the St. Louis Blues. In sum, Cassidy has a career record of 343-177-9.
Number one goaltender Logan Thompson had a .907 save percentage and 2.73 goals-against average in his first 30 starts. He has been with the Golden Knights since 2020-21. Meanwhile, Backup Adin Hill was the hero of the Stanley Cup championship ruin with a .915 save percentage and 2.50 goals against average. His save percentage in the playoffs was .932. Hill saved the playoffs by filling in for the injured Laurent Brossoit. Overall, Hill had a save percentage of .935 in his first 16 starts.
D Alex Pietrangelo had two goals and 19 assists with 21 points and a +3 in his first 43 games. Pietrangelo was the 4th overall pick of the 2008 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues. At the onset, he began his NHL career in 2008-09 with the Blues and played in St. Louis until 2020-21. Next, he moved to the Golden Knights. Pietrangelo is a three-time NHL All-Star.
C Jonathan Marchessault is an original Golden Knight and started well with 22 goals, 15 assists, 37 assists, and a +1 in his first 48 games. Previously, Marchessault began his NHL career with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2012-13. Marchessault later played for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, who exposed him to the expansion draft. Also, Marchessault was an NHL All-Star in 2022 and won the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.