Once long shot, Knights a good bet in playoffs

As an expansion team, the Golden Knights have defied all sorts of odds.

Long shots to even make the playoffs seven months ago, they are a favorite to hoist the Stanley Cup in June. Behind the stellar play of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, the Golden Knights completed a sweep of the Kings to move into the second round against the Sharks.

That puts the Golden Knights in some rare company as they became the first expansion team in NHL history to sweep a series in their inaugural season. The Penguins recorded a sweep in their first playoff appearance in 1970, which was their third season in the NHL. Not to be overlooked are the Blues, who made three straight Stanley Cup finals beginning in 1967-68 after the league expanded and threw all the new teams into the same division. The Panthers also had early success, going to the 1996 Finals three years after entering the league.

“We’re just trying to be as good as we can be,” Golden Knights general manager George McPhee said. “No one knows what exactly is going to happen. We think we’re a pretty good club, but we’ll keep trying to do what we’re doing and see where it takes us.”

Surgery for Burakovsky:

Capitals winger Andre Burakovsky will have minor surgery to repair an upperbody injury and miss the rest of the first-round series against the Blue Jackets.

Coach Barry Trotz said Burakovsky could return if his team advances deeper in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Burakovsky was injured in Game 2 Sunday on a hit by Blue Jackets forward Boone Jenner.

Bergeron back on ice:

Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron was back on the ice on the team’s off day, and coach Bruce Cassidy said it will be a game-day decision whether he plays in Game 5 against the Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

“We won’t rule him out and we won’t say he’s definitely in,” the coach said during the team’s off-day availability on Friday. “But it is a positive he’s back on the ice.”

Bergeron missed Game 4 on Thursday with an undisclosed injury.