Vegas Golden Knights Claim Pacific Division, Eye Stanley Cup

The Vegas Golden Knights closed out the 2025-26 NHL regular season on a high note. Wednesday's 4-1 home win over the Seattle Kraken locked up first place in the Pacific Division. It marked their second straight division title and fifth in nine seasons. The turnaround has been dramatic: just weeks ago, Vegas faced a real risk of missing the playoffs entirely. Now, with a 10-game point streak behind them, the Golden Knights head into the postseason as legitimate Cup contenders.

Tortorella Sparks an Instant Turnaround

The catalyst for Vegas' resurgence has been a coaching change, and on March 29, John Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy behind the bench. The result has been a 7-0-1 record. Tortorella, who guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004, is now coaching his sixth different NHL team.

Tortorella credited the upturn to simply letting his players play. He also found a reliable goaltender in Carter Hart, who stopped 22 shots in Wednesday's clinching win. Mitch Marner tipped in the go-ahead goal just 1:23 into the third period, with Reilly Smith adding two more. The Golden Knights secured 15 of a possible 16 points under Tortorella.

Betting Markets React to Vegas' Hot Streak

The coaching change triggered immediate movement in the betting markets. DraftKings Director of Race and Sports Operations Johnny Avello noted the shift clearly. "Since Vegas made the coaching change and sparked this run, we've seen a clear uptick in action on the Golden Knights," he said. "They were once in danger of missing the postseason, but now sit at +900 to win the Stanley Cup. As the team heated up, so did the betting interest."

Once on the verge of missing the playoffs, Vegas rattled off a 10-game point streak under a new coach and now enters the postseason as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

The team's Stanley Cup futures moved from +1500 to +900, and Campbell Conference futures dropped from +650 to +425.

Golden Knights Open vs. Expansion Mammoth

Vegas opens the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Utah Mammoth on Sunday. The Mammoth secured the first Western Conference wild-card spot and are making their first-ever postseason appearance, after finishing seven points out of a playoff berth in their 2024-25 debut season.

Utah won two of three regular-season meetings against Vegas. However, the Golden Knights bring deep playoff experience. Jack Eichel led Vegas with 90 points this season, while Mark Stone matched his personal best of 73 points. Eleven current roster members were part of the 2023 Cup-winning team. Vegas opens as series favorites, with odds ranging from -160 to -190 at major sportsbooks.