Golden Knights extend remarkable expansion season into conference finals

May 7 2018 5:11 AM

The Vegas Golden Knights keep making history after reaching the NHL Stanley Cup conference finals.

With their 3-0 win over the San Jose Sharks in game six on Sunday, expansion franchise Vegas became just the third team in NHL history to make it to the conference finals in an inaugural season.

The Golden Knights join the Toronto Arenas (1918) and the St Louis Blues (1968) as the only teams to make the finals either as an expansion team or after a merger.

Vegas finished the regular season with a 51-24-7 record.

THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS ARE GOING TO THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/xvlv1OEjkF

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 7, 2018

This is just one of several records the Golden Knights have set as an expansion team. In addition to making the conference finals, Vegas have become the first expansion team to sweep a playoff series and won more games for an expansion side than any other team ever.

Vegas were also the first expansion team to start their program off with a 3-0 record, while the Golden Knights finished with 26 more points than any expansion team in history.

Another history making night for the @GoldenKnights? This is certainly a good start. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/XdH0evd1rf

— NHL (@NHL) May 7, 2018

In addition to team accomplishments, James Neal also became the first player since 1972 to score goals in each of an expansion team's three regular-season games.

Just for a cherry on top on this one, Golden Knights goalie Marc Andre-Fleury tallied his fourth shutout of the playoffs stopping 28 shots in the process.

Vegas will face the winner of the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators. Winnipeg lead 3-2.

LAS. VEGAS.

you are AMAZING pic.twitter.com/cE97DQNdk7

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 7, 2018