Golden Knights beating the odds

Expansion team enjoys stellar start to season

Never bet against the house. Now that we’ve got that out of our system, let’s look at what’s going on in Las Vegas, where the Golden Knights are 7-1-0 to start the season.

Everyone’s favourite pick to finish in the bottom three has the best winning percentage in the NHL.

They’ve beaten the playoff-bound Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars.

And, unlike when the Minnesota Wild or the Columbus Blue Jackets entered the league in 2000, they’re fun to watch.

In other words, this is not your typical expansion team. Nor was it ever supposed to be.

The NHL set Vegas up for early success by altering the rules around its expansion draft and providing the team with players whom fans had actually heard of.

But as commissioner Gary Bettman joked at the Golden Knights’ home opener a couple of weeks ago, did they do too good of a job? Yes and no. The Golden Knights, who have the 20th-highest payroll in the league, are winning games with their No. 1 and No. 2 goalies both injured, without a top-50 scorer, and with their top free agent signing in the minors. So how are they doing it? Well, some of it is smoke and mirrors, but also with a lot of depth, a little bit of luck and some surprising contributions.

You might also say they’re playing with house money.

“Everything’s gone our way right now. We’re working hard and competing hard,” head coach Gerard Gallant told reporters.

“It’s all about a team with us. It’s a team game and that’s how we want to play.”