Daily Nuggets: Golden Knights Favored; Calm Before the Storm

Good morning, folks. The Vegas Golden Knights don’t start their postseason until Sunday— whatever shall we do with ourselves? We’ve got two exciting playoff matchups on Saturday, but we’ll have to go without any NHL hockey tonight, which is scarier than a Stephen King novel.

I need to issue my sincerest apologies. I’m so, so late getting these out this morning. I’ve been hopping airplanes and traversing through airports for nearly six hours. I’m proudly a cheapskate and thus typically end up in a middle seat at the back of the airplane in the last boarding group. So, as per usual, I drew the short straw, and they checked my bag. Of course, baggage claim was a nightmare, and the whole ordeal ended with a mad dash to make my connecting flight.

My morning has been frighteningly similar to the beloved children’s novel ‘I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew,’ and I haven’t even arrived in Vegas yet. I really should have anticipated travel delays and done these last night. But I digress.

Enough of my kvetching. Onto the hockey!

The Golden Knights begin their quest for the Stanley Cup on Sunday, and they have a real shot. In fact, analytic models give them top odds to win. For that to happen, however, three players will need to step up and rise to the occasion.

Elsewhere in the Daily Nuggets, the New York Rangers are under fire. Their piss-poor season came to a merciful end on Thursday, but now their star player is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Lindy Ruff recorded his 900th win as a head coach, and a court date looms for five members of Canada’s 2018 World Juniors team.

Golden Knights News

The Golden Knights kick off their postseason in just two days. Here’s their round one schedule for all interested parties:

I really think the Golden Knights have a great shot to win it all. And so does MoneyPuck– they’ve got the second-best odds to win the Stanley Cup.

Now, the Golden Knights might be favorites, but they need more from certain key players. Here are three players who will need to take their game to the next level if the Golden Knights are to win the Stanley Cup.

Sportsnet: Ryan Dixon made one final Western Conference power ranking before the playoffs, and the Golden Knights are ranked second.

NHL News, Rumors, & National Hockey Now

The Athletic ($): If you have enough money, you can make any problem disappear; last season, the New York Rangers did just that. They paid off a former employee after Artemi Panarin allegedly sexually assaulted her. 

TSN: It’s been a long process, but the five members of Canada’s 2018 World Juniors team accused of sexual assault will appear in court next week. Canada’s legal system is a bit different than the one in the US, and Rick Westhead explains the nuances of the case.

Sportsnet: In my humble opinion, hockey is the greatest sport in the world. And the numbers suggest that it’s really starting to catch on— the league shattered its old attendance records this season.

Sportsnet: With a win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff earned his 900th career win. He’s just the fifth coach in history to accomplish this feat.

Boston Hockey Now: The Bruins’ season has ended, and on Thursday, they held player exit interviews. Charlie McAvoy, who missed the second half of the season after an injury suffered at the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament, didn’t hold back when he spoke his mind.

Colorado Hockey Now: Gabriel Landeskog is a great player, and his teammates are glad to have him back from a hockey standpoint. But beyond that, they’re ecstatic for the return of their captain and, more importantly, their friend. 

San Jose Hockey Now: The budding friendship between Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini has been well-documented this season. Here’s the best part– they were rivals in college, and now they’re best friends.

NHL History: On April 18th, 1999, Wayne Gretzky laced up his skates for the final time.