The Golden Knights did what they had to do in John Tortorella’s debut. They beat Vancouver, moved to 33-26-16 and got back to 82 points.
That did not vault Vegas up the standings, but it kept the Knights in the middle of a Pacific race that still looks loose enough to swing hard over the final stretch. Tortorella is 1-0 heading into tonight, and that matters because there is no time left for soft starts or slow adjustments.
Three points, three teams
Vegas enters tonight third in the Pacific at 82 points.
Anaheim sits first at 87, but the Ducks have lost three straight. Edmonton is second at 85 and has won four in a row, which makes the Oilers the hottest team in the division right now. Vegas is three points behind Edmonton and five behind Anaheim, so both clubs are still in range.
That is the key. This is not a race where the Golden Knights need help from six different places. They are still close enough to move if they stack wins and get one or two breaks above them.
The Pacific is still messy
This division has shifted all year, and it still feels unstable.
Los Angeles is sitting at 78 points, four back of Vegas. San Jose is at 77 and has won three straight. Seattle is at 75. Calgary is further back at 70, but the Flames are still on the board as part of the schedule in front of Vegas.
The bigger wrinkle is Utah. Utah leads the wild-card race at 82 points, the same total as Vegas, which tells you how thin the line still is between holding a divisional spot and getting dragged into the scramble.
That is why every result matters right now. The Golden Knights are not just chasing upward. They are also trying to avoid getting sucked sideways.
Ducks and Oilers are real targets
Anaheim and Edmonton are both playable targets for Vegas, but for different reasons.
The Ducks still lead, yet they are wobbling. Their 3-4 loss at San Jose on Wednesday dropped them to 41-29-5 and stretched the skid to three games. If that slide continues, first place stops looking ambitious and starts looking available.
Edmonton is the tougher read. The Oilers are in better form and now hold second with 85 points. They look more stable than Anaheim at the moment, which may make them the more immediate team Vegas has to hunt.
The good news for the Knights is that they still get Edmonton head-to-head on Saturday. That game could swing more than two points. It could reset the shape of the race.
The schedule gives Vegas a shot
This is where it gets interesting.
Vegas hosts Calgary tonight, then goes on the road for four straight: at Edmonton, at Vancouver, at Seattle and at Colorado. That trip can either harden the Knights into a real threat or bury their margin for error.
The Ducks’ schedule also leaves room for movement. Anaheim hosts St. Louis and Calgary, then gets Nashville and San Jose at home before games against Vancouver, Minnesota and Nashville again. There are points there, but there is also enough traffic for a stumble to keep snowballing.
For Vegas, the obvious opportunity is direct. Beat Calgary, then make Edmonton matter.
Tortorella changes the temperature
It is only one game, so nothing should be overstated.
Still, the early difference under Tortorella was clear enough. Vegas looked tentative in the first period against Vancouver, then played faster and more direct in the second. That was the entire point of the coaching change. Not a tactical overhaul in a week, but a sharper edge right away.
At 1-0 under Tortorella, the Knights at least have a pulse again. Now they need proof that the urgency lasts beyond one night against the worst team in the division.
What tonight means
Tonight is not just about beating Calgary. It is about protecting the chance Monday gave them.
If Vegas wins, the Knights keep pressure on Edmonton and Anaheim before Saturday’s showdown with the Oilers. If they lose, the conversation shifts right back to inconsistency, wasted opportunity and whether the coaching jolt was only temporary.
That is the real setup here.
The Golden Knights are still close enough for this to become a real push. The division leader is stumbling. The second-place team is hot. The wild-card line is too close for comfort. And with Tortorella now 1-0, Vegas has just enough life to make the final stretch interesting.
Up next
The Golden Knights stay home Thursday night to face the Flames at T-Mobile Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. Pacific on Scripps.
On paper, this is another game Vegas should treat as a must-have. Calgary is 31-35-8 and sits well back in the Pacific race.
Still, this is not a free square. The Flames are 6-3-1 in their last 10, so they are playing better than their overall record suggests.
Vegas has already won two of the first three meetings in the season series. The Knights took the first two by scores of 4-2 and 6-1 before Calgary answered with a 6-3 win in the last meeting on Dec. 20.
This is also the first chance to show Monday was more than a one-night bump. Vegas is 1-0 under John Tortorella, and the second-period push against Vancouver gave the team a clearer identity than it had shown in recent games.
Special teams could tilt this one. The Golden Knights carry the stronger power play at 24.4 percent, while Calgary sits at 16.6 percent. Vegas has also been better in the faceoff circle.
There are a few hot hands to watch. Matt Coronato has six points in his last five games for Calgary. For Vegas, Ivan Barbashev has five points in his last five, while Rasmus Andersson has three goals in that span.
Then there is the bigger picture.
Thursday is the last home game before Vegas heads out for four straight on the road: Edmonton, Vancouver, Seattle and Colorado. That makes this more than just the next game on the schedule.
It is a chance to stack another win, keep pressure on the teams above them and leave town with a little traction.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
