Golden Knights unfazed about having to start next playoff series on road

By Jesse Granger

Wednesday, May 9, 2018 | 2 a.m.

It’s been a season of firsts for the Golden Knights, and now they approach another.

For the first time in franchise history, Vegas will start a playoff series on the road.

The Golden Knights had home-ice advantage in each of their first two series and took full advantage. They jumped out to a quick 2-0 series lead on the Kings with two quick wins at home and eventually swept them in four games. Then with the series tied 2-2 against San Jose, the Golden Knights swung the momentum with a statement win in Game 5 at home.

The dates for the Western Conference Finals have been set by the NHL, with Vegas’ first game starting at 4 p.m. Saturday, but the Golden Knights still don’t know where they’ll be playing.

It will either be Nashville or Winnipeg depending on the result of Thursday’s Game 7 between the Predators and Jets. Either will be a challenge, as the Jets have the best home record in the NHL this season, and the Predators aren’t far behind, tied for the third-best record.

“I wish I knew a couple days earlier where I’m going, but we can’t control that,” Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. “We’ll get on a flight Friday morning and go somewhere.”

But while having home-ice is ideal, Gallant and the Golden Knights aren’t worried.

“It doesn’t really make a big deal to us,” he said. “I’m not concerned with starting on the road to be honest with you. To me it doesn’t really matter.”

Vegas has been exceptional on the road this postseason and has the same record away from T-Mobile Arena as in it (4-1). The Golden Knights also closed out the Kings and Sharks on the road.

“The first two series we started at home and got off to good starts in both, but I think we’ve played really well on the road,” Gallant said.

“(Starting the first two series at home) really generated momentum for us, and I think our team’s identity really came out when that happens, but this time we are starting on the road,” forward David Perron said.

Throughout the league home ice hasn’t meant much in the playoffs this year. Road teams have actually won more than half the games with a record of 33-31 this postseason.

“I think the NHL is so close and the teams are so close together,” Gallant said. “With the parity in the league anybody can beat anybody. You have to show up and play your game at the right time. I don’t think it really matters.”

In the case of Winnipeg and Nashville, the road team has won four out of the six games including the last three.

If the Golden Knights can steal one of the first two games on the road, it puts immense pressure on their opponent as the series shifts to Las Vegas. While Gallant said he would obviously prefer home ice, he doesn’t view it as that significant of an obstacle moving forward.