Golden Knights can make more history in Game 6 against Sharks

SAN JOSE -- The Vegas Golden Knights are one win from becoming the third NHL team to win two playoff series in an inaugural season.
They are one win from the Western Conference Final, leading the San Jose Sharks 3-2 in the second round. Game 6 of the best-of-7 series is at SAP Center on Sunday (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS).

So we asked them: Do they know the first two teams?
RELATED: [Complete Golden Knights vs. Sharks series coverage]
"Colorado?" forward Reilly Smith said. "Do they count?"
No. The Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 1995-96, their first season in Denver, but it wasn't their first season in the NHL. They had been the Quebec Nordiques.
"The Florida Panthers," defenseman Nate Schmidt said.
Good guess, but no. The Panthers won three series in 1995-96, but that was their third season.
"Tampa, maybe?" goaltender Malcolm Subban said.
No. The Tampa Bay Lightning didn't win multiple rounds until they won four and the Cup in 2003-04, their 12th season.

"Flyers?" goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said.
No. The Philadelphia Flyers didn't win multiple rounds until they won three and the Cup in 1973-74, their seventh season.
"Pittsburgh?" Fleury said.
Not even close. The Pittsburgh Penguins didn't win multiple series until they won four and the Cup in 1990-91, their 24th season.
"Montreal, maybe?" Fleury said.
Warmer. The Montreal Canadiens won three series and the Cup in 1923-24, their seventh season in the NHL.
"Detroit and Rangers," Subban said. "One of those."
No, and almost got it. The Detroit Red Wings didn't win multiple series until they won two and the Cup in 1935-36, their 10th season. The New York Rangers won three series and the Cup in 1927-28, their second season.
"I don't think I am good at this," Fleury said with a smile and a laugh, "because I've named 10 teams."
The answer: the Toronto Arenas in 1917-18 and the St. Louis Blues in 1967-68.
"That's cool," Schmidt said. "That's pretty good company, I guess."
You have to go back 50 and 100 years to find comparisons to this opportunity, and the Arenas and the Blues really don't compare to the Golden Knights, anyway.
Toronto did it in the NHL's inaugural season, when the League started with four teams -- the Arenas, Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Wanderers -- and ended up with three after the Montreal Arena burned down and the Wanderers withdrew.
The Arenas -- who weren't officially the Arenas until 1918-19, became the St. Patricks in 1919-20 and became the Maple Leafs in February 1927 -- defeated the Canadiens 10-7 in a two-game, total-goals NHL Final, then defeated the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association 3-2 in a best-of-5 series for the Cup.
St. Louis did it when the NHL doubled from six teams to 12 and put the expansion teams in the West Division. Four teams from the West made the playoffs and played each other in the first two rounds.
The Blues defeated two other expansion teams in best-of-7 series, first the Flyers 4-3, then the Minnesota North Stars 4-3. When they crossed over and played the Canadiens in the Final, they got swept.
The Golden Knights have had their advantages. They entered the NHL alone, had more favorable rules in the NHL Expansion Draft than previous teams and benefitted from the NHL Salary Cap. But they have blown away expectations and shattered records for first-year teams.
They finished the regular season 51-24-7 and won the Pacific Division with 109 points. They had 26 more points, 18 more wins, seven more home wins and two more road wins than any other team ever had in its inaugural season.
In the first round, they swept the Los Angeles Kings, whose core won the Cup in 2012 and 2014. The Sharks have many players who went to the Final in 2016.
"It's not done yet, right?" Fleury said, smiling. "It would be cool, but we can't be thinking too far ahead."
That's one reason the Golden Knights have come so far.

"I think one thing we've been good at is just focusing on the next game and nothing else," center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare said. "During the year, a lot of those records came out, and we had absolutely no clue, because that's the last thing we're thinking about. If you start thinking about those, it's impossible to play, I think.
"Don't think about it. Right now I don't really care about it. My focus is all about (Game 6) and that's it."
Funny, though. Coach Gerard Gallant said he had no clue who the two teams were, then was pressed for his best guess.
"Best guess?" he said. "In their first season?
Pause.
"St. Louis," he said.
Another pause.
"Toronto," he said.
Correct!
"Serious?" he said, smiling. "Honest to god, I had no idea."
One more win, and everyone will know at least one team to have done it:
Vegas.