Father's Day is a cherished holiday celebrating Dad. It's a holiday where Las Vegas locals treat their fathers to an honorary dinner and a day out. Whether it's going to an Aviators game, seeing a movie, or checking out an escape room, the possibilities are endless for this special day. Sadly, Vegas Golden Knights hockey doesn't extend that far (unless they're in a highly competitive Stanley Cup Final series), leaving out the possibility of going to a hockey game.
However, that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun with which teams call the Golden Knights their "daddy." What does that mean, you might ask? It means Vegas has established regular season dominance from an all-time perspective. They've beaten these opponents every chance they've gotten, making them the "father."
For some teams, Vegas is NOT the "father." One example is the Boston Bruins, where the Golden Knights have only an earned points percentage of .375 (4-7-1). That isn't dominance for the black and gold, especially against a historically great franchise like the Bruins. Same thing with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where Vegas has gotten a points percentage of .417 (5-7). Both groups are the anti-San Jose Sharks: They're franchises that have basically gotten the best of everyone.
With that, there are three teams that the Vegas Golden Knights have dominated from a historical perspective. Vegas has done a tremendous job playing against the following teams, making them... the "fathers" of these teams. Let's celebrate Father's Day with a late-night article and look at the three teams Vegas has historically done best against.
Ottawa Senators
Historically, the Vegas Golden Knight has done well against the Ottawa Senators. They have a record of 10-1-1 with a points percentage of .875. It makes sense since Vegas has been a terrific franchise for seven years. The Ottawa Senators? Not so much. They have a record of 214-270-53 since the start of the 2017-18 season. Life has been rough for Senators fans, especially with consistent threats of relocation throughout the years.
While the all-time series has been a contrast between two franchises, there's a major link between the Golden Knights and Senators. Vegas captain Mark Stone was acquired from Ottawa on February 25, 2019, which brought in a key piece to the team's success. That included a Stanley Cup victory when Stone scored a hat trick in the clinching game.
As for this season, the Vegas Golden Knights went 1-0-1 against Ottawa. In the first game on December 17, Vegas doubled up the Senators, 6-3. However, it would be Ottawa who'd win the second game on February 24. They'd beat the Golden Knights, 4-3, in a shootout. A point was saved by Chandler Stephenson, who scored a late third-period goal to send the game to overtime.
San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks fans won't like where this is headed. The good news for them is they'll still have the comeback from being down 3-1 in the first round of the 2018-19 playoffs. The bad news? The Vegas Golden Knights have dominated them during the regular season. Not only that, but Vegas also has a playoff series victory of their own and a Stanley Cup.
How lopsided is the rivalry between Vegas and San Jose? The Golden Knights have lost in regulation twice, meaning they have a points percentage of .855 (24-2-5). They've also outscored the Sharks badly, with a goal total of 118-64 favoring Vegas. In fact, they swept the season series against San Jose, going 4-0-0.
However, it seems unfair for the San Jose Sharks, for they've been out of playoff action for a while. Not since that 2018-19 team have they been competitive, with a record of 123-199-50. But Vegas Golden Knights fans don't care, for their dominance over the Sharks is a good gift on Father's Day.
Seattle Kraken
Now, it seems unfair to compare the San Jose Sharks getting beaten on Father's Day compared to the Seattle Kraken. After all, the newest team in the Pacific Northwest doesn't have much history behind them. That is unless you consider upsetting the former Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche, and coming within a couple of goals of making the Western Conference Final.
But that's the case for the Kraken against the Vegas Golden Knights. Historically, Vegas has a record of 10-2 with a points percentage of .833. However, one thing Seattle hockey fans can hang their hats on is they won the Winter Classic, defeating Vegas at T-Mobile Park, 3-0. Joey Daccord got the shutout that game, besting a Golden Knights team ravaged by injuries.
Still, the comparison between Vegas and Seattle draws up an interesting point about both recent expansion teams. That starts with how the Golden Knights have been more aggressive in pursuing quality players (see Stone and Jack Eichel). Compare that to the Seattle Kraken, who've taken a more traditional approach. That includes developing players and building a strong core. Kraken fans hope the payoff will be huge and lead to a Stanley Cup, similar to Vegas.
