TC Martin

No Matter the Seed, VGK Still at the Top 

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Despite finishing the regular season uninspiringly with a tumble down to the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference, the defending Stanley Cup Champions feel they are still the team to beat during these NHL Playoffs.  

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Playing with a re-stocked roster including captain, Mark Stone and Alex Pietrangelo, the champs picked up right where they left off after last year's Stanley Cup title in defeating the Dallas Stars 4-3 in Game 1 of the opening round of the NHL Playoffs. 

Facing a familiar foe, the Golden Knights, ignored all the talk about facing the top seed in the opening round of the playoffs on the road with revenge on their mind.  The Dallas Stars fell to VGK in last year's Western Conference Final in six games and lost all three regular season meetings this year.  

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With a roster and team seemingly in turmoil from battling all season just to get into the playoffs, that was all erased in a dominating performance in the opening game as the Knights led wire to wire and looked much like last year's Stanley Cup Champions. 

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Stone, who missed the final two months of the regular season scored an immediate goal and his linemate Tomas Hertl had a goal as well in his playoff debut with the Knights.  Jonathan Machessault scored his 36th postseason goal while Brayden McNabb fired in a 50-footer to give Vegas a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series. 

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The biggest decision head coach Bruce Cassidy had to make coming into this series was who would be his goaltender.  After Adin Hill had a spectacular showing in last season's Stanley Cup run, he was unimpressive in the regular season finale, prompting Cassidy to go with Logan Thompson.  

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Thompson made his first career playoff start and was solid with 27 saves.  Thompson held the Stars without a goal for the final 41:31 of the game as Dallas never sniffed the back of the net in the final two periods. 

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The Knights were 2 for 2 on the Power Play and controlled the action from beginning to end.  With the renewed confidence, we will see if Vegas can keep its playoff mojo going.  Game 2 is Wednesday night back in Dallas.