The Vegas Golden Knights have controlled the Pacific Division for most of the season. Call it bad injury luck for the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings, but all Vegas cares about is their home-ice advantage through the playoffs’ first two rounds.

The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs features 16 teams in eight best-of-7 series, which start Saturday. Today, NHL.com previews the Western Conference First Round between the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild. Golden Knights: 50-22-10, 110 points Wild: 45-30-7, 97 points Season series: VGK: 3-0-0; MIN: 0-3-0 Game 1: at Vegas, TBD

It’s funny to look back now and remember that the Vegas Golden Knights’ rise to a perennial NHL power in their initial Stanley Cup Playoffs run was fraught with skepticism.