LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Golden Knights need just one point Thursday to clinch the Western Conference championship and home ice through the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Their foe in the final regular-season game, the Seattle Kraken, still has a shot at third place in the Pacific Division.
Here’s the breakdown:
An Edmonton victory in its finale against San Jose, also Thursday night, and a regulation loss by the Knights gives the Oilers the West crown. The Oilers, who trail the Knights by two points, own the tiebreaker in the race for the conference and division titles.
For the Kraken, a victory over the Knights plus a loss by Los Angeles would clinch third in the Pacific for Seattle. That would mean Seattle would play the Pacific champ, either the Knights or the Oilers.
With postseason seeding on the line, Knights coach Bruce Cassidy figures his players will be ready. He expects the same from the Kraken, especially after Seattle lost at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday.
“A little more at stake, obviously,” Cassidy said of the regular-season finale. “I still think our players feel that way.”
Golden Knights at Seattle Kraken
- Faceoff: 730 p.m. Thursday, Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle
- TV/Radio: ESPN/KKGK, 1340 AM, 98.9 FM
- Records: Golden Knights 50-22-9; Kraken 46-27-8
- Notes: The playoff teams in the West are set, with Winnipeg clinching the final wild-card spot. … Knights center Jack Eichel has missed two straight games. He’s not played since April 6, a victory over Los Angeles, because of a lower-body injury. Cassidy said Eichel will be among the injured players to travel to Seattle. Eichel said he’s hoping to play. “You don’t want to lose your rhythm … you want to go into the playoffs feeling good, feeling confident,” he said.
