(Photo Credit: @GoldenKnights on X/Twitter)

On Monday, we shared the easiest stretches in the 26-27 schedule for the Golden Knights. Now, we turn our attention to the more difficult ones.

Last season, Vegas went 2-6-0, 3-4-2, and 4-2-2 through the three strings of games we highlighted, including one that fell in the middle of VGK’s terrible 5-11-2 run from mid January to the trade deadline in March. This season, there aren’t nearly as many extended road trips or back-to-backs, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some extremely tough stretches of hockey they’ll have to conquer.

January 2nd to January 30th
vs COL, at COL, vs MIN, vs SEA, at WSH, at TBL, at FLA, at CAR, vs EDM, vs BOS, at CHI, at NSH, vs BOS, vs WSH

Yeah, the entire month of January has been highlighted because it is an absolute gauntlet. Aside from the home game against Seattle and the road game in Chicago, VGK will likely be either minimal favorites or even underdogs in each of the other 12 games. Historically, the trip to the American Southeast is a difficult one, and then Edmonton is waiting back in Vegas when the Golden Knights return home. The one respite is that the only back-to-back are the games in Florida and Carolina but there’s not a ton of time off between the rest of the games and a lot of travel. VGK need to position themselves well in 2026 so the first month of 2027 doesn’t bite them.

February 20th to March 7th
At DAL, at COL, vs FLA, vs ANA, at PHI, at NYI, at NJD, at NYR

The stretch starts with the Stadium Series game at AT&T Stadium in Dallas and then gets more and more difficult as it goes along. There’s likely to be at least a little bit of a letdown following the marquee game of the season, and Colorado, Florida, and Anaheim are not the best options to stave that off. Then, it’s the yearly trip to New York, which is as late in the season as it has ever been for VGK. They usually do fine through that trip, but it’s rarely a rousing success. The good news is that the stretches coming into this one and coming out are fairly soft.

November 17th to December 1st
vs DAL, vs DAL, at WPG, at EDM, at SJS, vs MTL, at LAK

For some reason, the schedule makers handed the Golden Knights and Stars consecutive games at T-Mobile Arena that are not on back-to-back days. Dallas is always a difficult opponent, and having to beat them twice in a row is even tougher. Then, it’s a trip to Winnipeg followed by a flight over to Edmonton before returning to the US for a road/home back-to-back against the Sharks and Canadiens. There are just two games (at WPG, at SJS) in this seven-game stretch against non-playoff teams and both are expected to be much better in 26-27. It doesn’t lighten up too much afterwards either as a pair of matchups with Utah and Winnipeg at home are on the calendar before a trip to Eastern Canada.