Golden Knights clinch Pacific Division, await first round opponent

The process was not flawless, but no one can argue about the results for the Vegas Golden Knights.

With the team defeating the Nashville Predators 5-3 on Saturday, the Golden Knights have clinched the Pacific Division trophy, ensuring they receive home-ice advantage through the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The season is not yet finished for the Golden Knights, with two road games against the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks remaining on the schedule. However, with their seeding now locked in, the team can choose to rest players accordingly as they prepare to make a postseason run.

The Golden Knights are expected to face the top wild-card team in the Western Conference. Currently, that is expected to be either the Minnesota Wild or St. Louis Blues. The start date of the Golden Knights’ first-round series is to be determined.

Since entering the league during the 2017-18 season, this year marks the fourth time in eight seasons the Golden Knights have won the Pacific Division (2017-18, 2019-20, 2022-23). The team also won the West Division during the post-COVID realignment of the 2020-21 season. In the two previous seasons where the Golden Knights won the Pacific, the team advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.

The Golden Knights have been in the driver’s seat of the division for most of the season, and their efforts have been rewarded with divisional supremacy once again.