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Fans, players and sportsbooks discuss Golden Knights' odds of winning Stanley Cup

Posted at 6:54 PM, Oct 03, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-04 01:10:15-04

What a difference a year makes!

Expectations are certainly different for the Vegas Golden Knights as they kick off their second regular season tomorrow at T-Mobile Arena. 

Jay Kornagay, Westgate sports book director, said there are more people placing bets on the Golden Knights than any other team right now, "probably three times over."

"This year we opened them at 10 to 1 - big difference from 500 - 1," said Kornagay.

In other words, if you had bet $100 that the Golden Knights would win the Stanley Cup last season and they did, you'd be $50,000 richer by late June.

This year, the same bet with the same result would yield a $1,000 at those current odds.

Kornagay said the only team to have higher odds of winning the cup this year, as of now, is the Tampa Bay Lightning - the team the Capitals beat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final last year.

As for the team, they understand the shift in expectations as a direct result of their record-breaking first season. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said the players and fans have the same goal - to win the Stanley Cup - but that doesn't change their approach to the season.

"Our mindset can't be thinking too far ahead. Thinking about the Cup right away or last season. We just have to start fresh, take one game at a time, trying to win that game, get two points. Trying to move it on."