At the start of this NHL season, not much was expected of the Vegas Golden Knights. Having selected players from most teams in the expansion draft, Vegas was expected to finish near the basement and sell off their bigger names at the trade deadline.

82 games later, in their inaugural season, the Golden Knights stand atop the Pacific Division with 109 points and a +44 goal differential. There’s also a huge grin on the faces of all sports fans in Las Vegas. As the first league to make the leap into Las Vegas, the NHL couldn’t be happier with the emphatic start that the Golden Knights have had.

Not only did they get involved with the community following a horrifying incident, but they also went on to become the best expansion team in their inaugural season. Vegas is also the first team to reach the playoffs in their first season for 38 years. The last team to do so already had an established team moving from the WHA, which boasted Wayne Gretzky in its ranks.

The @GoldenKnights retired the No. 58 in honor of the 58 victims of last year’s Las Vegas shooting. pic.twitter.com/SxxrKj3Qzx

— ESPN (@espn) April 1, 2018

Now, the Vegas Golden Knights have a chance to extend the historical season that they’ve crafted for themselves.

It seems like destiny

For the Vegas Golden Knights to connect with the community as they have, beat all the odds, and impress the rest of the ice hockey world in such a way, they now look destined to win the Stanley Cup.

Over the history of sports, you can see many occasions when teams simply look destined to win the ultimate prize, such as Zambia’s win at the 2012 African Cup of Nations or Muhammad Ali’s huge comeback to defeat George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle. Now it’s Vegas’ turn to fulfill their sporting destiny.

Source: Vegas Golden Knights, via Twitter

Of course, people are more swayed by the regular season standings than they are the opportunity for Vegas to complete their fairytale start. But they also recognize how volatile and unpredictable the Stanley Cup Playoffs are. At +750 in the NHL betting odds, Vegas is only behind the +400 Nashville Predators and +550 Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Stanley Cup in their first time of asking.

But a team can’t get anywhere without putting in the performances on game night, and the Vegas Golden Knights have certainly been pulling their weight.

Playing as a team

Forging a team through the expansion draft meant that the Vegas Golden Knights would start without the high-selection elite-level superstar that all other teams have collected over the years. But that didn’t matter. Vegas’ general manager, George McPhee, was calculated and selected model professionals, hard workers, and those who would buy into the new Golden Knights ethos.

Source: Golden Knights Realm, via Twitter

While the likes of Marc-Andre Fleury, James Neal, and David Perron headlined their picks, they quickly integrated themselves as team members instead of star players. Vegas excelled in all phases of the game, with the whole team pulling their weight. Vegas hosts five players on over 50 points for the regular season: only the Lightning, Predators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets have more. But this didn’t stop one Willaim Karlsson from emerging as a star of the league.

Not exactly the biggest name taken in the expansion draft, William Karlsson boomed this season. From 25 points in 81 games with the explosive Columbus Blue Jackets last season, the 25-year-old Swede ended this regular season with 43 goals and 78 points. Karlsson also finished with the highest rating in the NHL at +49 and had the third-most goals (only behind super snipers Alex Ovechkin and Patrik Laine).

It’s been a superb season from a bundled assortment of players who are playing for their team and their new home. Now it’s time to see how far this momentum can take Vegas. The Golden Knights have already made history – now they’ll extend their incredible young legacy.