Can the Vegas Golden Knights live up to their favourites tag?
They’ve surprised everyone to get this far
There may not be a better story in any sport right now than the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights weren’t expected to do much in their first-ever NHL season. Many experts felt they’d made a mess of the Expansion Draft. Just finishing above bottom would have been seen as a success.
But after beating the Washington Capitals 6-4 in Game 1 of the final, they’re now just three wins away from lifting the Stanley Cup.
After proving people wrong all season, the Knights are now expected to win. They’re 4/11 favourites to go all the way and lift the title. Can Gerard Gallant’s team cope with the pressure?
Impressive Consistency
Hot streaks aren’t rare in ice hockey. But that isn’t what’s happened here. The Knights have been impressive for almost the entire season.
They won eight of their opening nine matches and later posted an eight-game winning streak. They eventually won their division by eight points – the biggest margin in the league.
It may have been unexpected, but the Knights deserve to be in the final. And they’ve got all of the momentum. It’s 5/1 that they win the series 4-0.
Playoff Prowess
As the stakes have got higher, the Knights haven’t shown any signs of crumbling. Signing so many experienced players in the Draft looks increasingly shrewd now.
They beat the Los Angeles Kings, the San Jose Sharks and the Winnipeg Jets in the playoffs to seal their place in the final with a record of 12-3.
If they were going to slip up, it’s likely it would have happened by now. Instead, they’re on the verge of one of the most unlikely underdog success stories in sports history.
All Odds and Markets correct as of date of publication