Golden Knights record since hiring John Tortorella: How new Vegas coach has turned team around to set up playoffs run

Vegas fired head coach Bruce Cassidy and replaced him with Tortorella near the end of the regular season, as the team was headed in the wrong direction. The 67-year-old Tortorella proved Vegas with a wealth of experience, as he coached five other teams in his coaching career and led the Tampa Bay Lighting to a Stanley Cup title in 2004. This is not the first time that Tortorella took over a team midseason, as he's done so three other times, giving him a unique form of experience in this area.

Here's how Tortorella has been able to spark the Golden Knights to close the season. SN's NHL HQ: Live NHL scores | Updated NHL standings | Full NHL schedule John Tortorella record with Golden Knights Since John Tortorella took over as the Golden Knights head coach on March 29, Vegas went 7-0-1 in eight games to close out the regular season. The Golden Knights had four home games and four road games, and their only loss in that span was a shootout loss to the Seattle Kraken on the road.

By winning seven of their final eight games, collecting 15 points in that span, the Golden Knights clinched the Pacific Division by two points over the Edmonton Oilers . Therefore, Vegas will play the Utah Mammoth in the first round of the playoffs, as the Oilers and Anaheim Ducks will play in the other Pacific division matchup. Golden Knights record before John Tortorella When the Golden Knights fired Cassidy, Vegas was 32-26-16 and in third place in the Pacific Division.

The Golden Knights were also six points behind the Ducks for first in the division and four points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings , who were the first team out of the playoffs at the time. MORE: John Tortorella's coaching timeline Why did Golden Knights fire Bruce Cassidy? Vegas was struggling at the end of March, having lost seven of its last eight games, nine of its last 11 games, and 12 of its last 14 games.