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Posted at 12:35 PM EST

10:35 PM EST. OT included. This is a potential first round matchup, which is another reason why the NHL playoff format is so out of whack but that’s a story for another time. It’s a shame that one of these two teams will be out after Round 1 when they are arguably the top two teams in the Western Conference. These two should be meeting the Conference Final and not the first round but for the Golden Knights, who would not have home ice advantage against San Jose, they really need to establish that they don’t care where they play.

San Jose has more points (94 to 85) and more wins (43 to 40) than the Knights but those are just results. Under the hood, you might not find a pair of teams that are so evenly matched than these two. Everything that the Sharks do well, the Golden Knights do just as well and or better.  In Corsi For % during five-on-five play, San Jose and Vegas rank second and third respectively. In High Danger Chances For %, the Knights rank second while the Sharks rank 4th. In Expected Goals For, Vegas ranks second while the Sharks rank 3rd. In High Danger Chances Against, Vegas ranks fifth in the league while the Sharks rank 9th.

The Vegas Golden Knights do not take a back seat to the Sharks in any way, shape or form. Last year, the Knights were a novelty that played great the entire year and rode a big wave of emotion into a deep playoff run. They were legit too. This year, less market focus is being put on the Knights because the novelty has worn off but they’re better than last year right across the board. The Vegas Golden Knights are not just legit, they’re a great team and cannot be taking back ridiculous prices like this against anyone. Finally, Martin Jones has been the Sharks biggest liability this year and he’s the reason why the Sharks lose games they should win. Put it all together and what we have here is a very live and motivated underdog. Big overlay here.   

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