BLOG: Blackhawks to Face Golden Knights in First Round

The Blackhawks now know their opponent in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs: the Vegas Golden Knights.

Vegas clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a 4-3 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche in the third and final game of their round robin schedule as one of the top four teams in the West by points percentage.

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The First Round is expected to begin on Tuesday, Aug. 11, though it remains to be seen if that will also be the start date for the 1 vs. 12 matchup. A full schedule for the First Round matchup will be announced at a later date.

This will be the first postseason meeting between Chicago and Vegas since the latter joined the league in the 2017-18 season. The Golden Knights made a run to the Stanley Cup Final that season, with Blackhawks forward Ryan Carpenter playing in 17 of Vegas' 20 playoff games.

In three meetings this season, the Blackhawks posted a 1-1-1 record against the Golden Knights. Dylan Strome led Chiacgo with four points (1G, 3A) in the season series. Corey Crawford started two of the three games, posting a win and a loss, with a .899 SV% and a 4.01 GAA.

On Oct. 22, Vegas took a 2-1 shootout victory in Chicago. On that night, rookie forward Kirby Dach scored his first NHL goal in just his second game. Robin Lehner made his lone appearance of the season against his future club, stopping 33 shots in 65 minutes of play. He was traded to Vegas at the trade deadline on Feb. 24.

The Blackhawks returned the favor on Nov. 14 with a 5-3 victory in Nevada. Strome and Patrick Kane each netted a goal and two assists, while Dach added a goal and assist of his own in the victory. Crawford made 39 saves on 42 shots in the victory.

Vegas took the final meeting of the season on Dec. 11 by a 5-1 score. Rookie goal scoring leader Dominik Kubalik scored the lone Blackhawks goal on the night as Crawford made 32 saves in the loss.