Hockey fans love a good matchup between two quality hockey teams. It brings out the best in both clubs and fans love the action. The same is true for the Las Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars, who will be competing for the right to play the Colorado Avalanche next Sunday. They say everything is bigger in Texas, and this Game 7 will be no different.
Some say this series was essentially the Western Conference Finals with only the first round. This is the story of two contrasting lineups competing for the Stanley Cup, with the Stars' high-scoring offense dominating opponents and the Golden Knights' “Death Lineup.” It's also hockey fan service, depicting a budding rivalry similar to the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche of the 1990s and 2000s.
If this is the newest rivalry in the NHL, it definitely shows fans that it is. Ironically, the Vegas Golden Knights and their “Death Lineup” are the underdogs in the series, with the Stars favored in Game 7 (-150 money line). It adds another layer to the storyline. Can the underdog Golden Knights beat the Western Conference's best regular season team?
The Golden Knights are the underdogs, but some fans don't like them very much. Why, you may ask. First, there is controversy behind Mark Stone's return to the playoffs. The Golden Knights were over the playoff salary cap, which caused an uproar, even though NHL owners agreed to an exception to the rule. Let's call it the “LTIR gate”. Whether that will change in the future remains to be seen. However, this controversy created a new villain in the NHL, the Vegas Golden Knights.
Therefore, fans are paying attention to the series and its various storylines. So what makes the Golden Knights and Stars unique? How will hockey fans remember this series now that it's over?
