San Jose Sharks And Vegas Golden Knights Set To Meet In NHL Playoffs
The San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights will meet in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The first match up of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs has been set in stone. Though which team has home-ice advantage hasn’t been determined yet, the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights will square off in the first round. The Sharks and Golden Knights previously matched up in the 2018 playoffs, with the latter winning in six games.
After sweeping the Los Angeles Kings, the Sharks became the first team to win against the Golden Knights in the NHL playoffs and hand them their first playoff defeat. It was also the first postseason Evander Kane spent in San Jose, where he has finally begun to arguably live up to his potential.
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After learning news that the postseason match up was clinched, Sharks forward Timo Meier explained he felt a rivalry beginning between the two teams. The Golden Knights in their relatively short NHL tenure have established rivalries with the Arizona Coyotes and the Los Angeles Kings, especially fueled after their first round defeat against Vegas last spring. San Jose, while a Pacific division opponent, may seem like an unlikely rivalry candidate, but repeated playoff match ups will do that.
The Sharks and Golden Knights have spent most of the season comfortably in the second and third seed in the Pacific Division after the Western Conference leading Calgary Flames. San Jose holds a slight advantage in points, but the match up could be described as even.
Although both teams largely have the same roster as the last time they faced off to fight for the Stanley Cup, there have been a few noteworthy additions. Erik Karlsson should return from injury in time for the playoffs, his first with the San Jose Sharks. As an impending free agent, and the anticipation build around his long-awaited trade away from the Ottawa Senators, all eyes will be on him to deliver for the Sharks.
Over on the Vegas side, former Montreal Canadiens player Max Pacioretty also returns to the playoff. Coming from hockey crazed Montreal, this will be his first post season in Sin City. Vegas also has the addition of Paul Stastny from last year’s free agency. Furthermore, former teammate of Karlsson’s Mark Stone will make his return to the postseason as well.
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Dates are not yet set, but will begin either April 10th or 11th. It will mark only the second time in franchise history the Vegas Golden Knights have not had home ice advantage.