LOS ANGELES -- One year ago, the Vegas Golden Knights had no players on their roster, and Gerard Gallant was four days into his new job as the first head coach of the expansion team.

On Tuesday, Vegas became the first franchise in NHL history to sweep a postseason series in its inaugural season when it defeated the Los Angeles Kings 1-0.

The Golden Knights will face the winner of the San Jose Sharks-Anaheim Ducks series in the next round. San Jose leads the series 3-0.

It already has been a historic season for the Golden Knights, after they took the Pacific Division to become the first modern-era expansion team in the NHL, NBA, NFL or MLB to win its division in its inaugural season, excluding mergers and all-expansion divisions.

The Golden Knights are now continuing to rewrite the record books in the postseason. With Tuesday's sweep, they became just the third team in the NHL, NBA or MLB to complete a four-game sweep in its first playoff series. The Pittsburgh Penguins did so in 1970 against the Oakland Seals, and MLB's Boston Braves pulled off the feat in 1914 against the Philadelphia Athletics.

A big reason for Vegas' success this season and in the playoffs so far has been the play of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who was selected by Vegas in the expansion draft after he helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup three times. Fleury now has 66 career postseason victories, and he passed Dominik Hasek (65) for 11th in NHL history among goaltenders. Tuesday's effort was Fleury's 12th career postseason shutout, tied with Terry Sawchuk for 10th-most in NHL history.

"You guys remind us or tell us about those records, but it's not something that we talk about or shoot for," Fleury said. "All season long, I didn't know any records about expansion teams. We just do what a regular team would. We just play the game and try to win. That's it."

Few expected much from Vegas coming into this season. Many had the Golden Knights pegged as the worst team in the league following the expansion draft that netted them the likes of Fleury, James Neal, Jonathan Marchessault, Deryk Engelland, David Perron, William Karlsson, Nate Schmidt, Erik Haula, Cody Eakin, William Carrier and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.

The star and the face of the franchise was always going to be Fleury, but no one thought he would become the catalyst for another Stanley Cup contender so soon in the process.

"He had experience winning three Stanley Cups being with the Pittsburgh Penguins all those years. We knew when we got him we got a superstar goaltender. We knew that," Gallant said. "He has carried our team a lot. He makes our team better and confident, and it all started with the first 10 games of the season, when we were 8-2. He's a big part of our group."

The Golden Knights swept the Kings despite scoring seven total goals in the series and by allowing only three goals from Los Angeles. Vegas' seven goals are two fewer than any other team has scored in a best-of-seven sweep in NHL history.

"It feels great," Marchessault said. "All of us, we came in with a chip on our shoulder, and we're just looking at the next game ahead of us. When we play right away, I think we can go far, but we cannot look too far right now. We've got to look at the next game and be able to cash in the rest that we're going to have here and be ready when the second round starts."

The game-winning goal on Tuesday came from Brayden McNabb, who played the previous three seasons for the Kings before being selected by Vegas in the expansion draft. It was McNabb's first postseason goal.

"I'm not a huge offensive guy, but to get a goal and get our team going felt pretty good. I was just happy to get the team going," he said.

As Vegas prepared to leave Staples Center after the franchise's first playoff series win and sweep Tuesday night, Gallant couldn't help but recall the incredible journey of his first year as the team's first head coach.

"It's unreal," Gallant said. "When you think back to early October when the season started, we were thinking about competing and playing hard, and now all of a sudden, we're moving on to the second round of the playoffs. We're playing good hockey, and we got experienced guys and a good hockey team, so we're pretty proud of it and real happy.

"We'll have a week off here to get ready for the next one. It's awesome. It's been a great feeling."</s>Check out the photos from the party from our Review-Journal photographers.

Golden Knights fans Brandon Potts, middle/right, and Shannon Boyd, left, celebrate at a watch party at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino after Vegas defeated the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 to complete the four game sweep to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal @benjaminhphoto

Golden Knights fan Jerry Norskog pumps his fist in the air after Vegas scored a second period goal against the Los Angeles Kings during a watch party at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal @benjaminhphoto

Golden Knights fans watch game four of Vegas' playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal @benjaminhphoto

Golden Knights owner Bill Foley is all smiles before the start of Vegas' game four playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Kings during a watch party at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal @benjaminhphoto

Golden Knights fans Stephanie Maes, left, and Shannon Boyd cheer with Vegas' mascot Chance before the start of the Knights game four playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Kings during a watch party at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal @benjaminhphoto

The Knightline drummers perform between periods during the Golden Knights game four playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Kings at a watch party at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal @benjaminhphoto

Golden Knights fan Wan Ali cheers for Vegas during their game four playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Kings at a watch party at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal @benjaminhphoto

Golden Knights fan Deanthony Carson celebrates at a watch party at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino after Vegas defeated the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 to complete the four game sweep to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal @benjaminhphoto

Golden Knights fans Brandon Potts, right, hugs Shannon Boyd at a watch party at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino after Vegas defeated the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 to complete the four game sweep to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal @benjaminhphoto

Golden Knights fan Brian Albanes, left, celebrates at a watch party at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino after Vegas defeated the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 to complete the four game sweep to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal @benjaminhphoto

Golden Knights fans celebrate at a watch party at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino after Vegas defeated the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 to complete the four game sweep to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal @benjaminhphoto

The Golden Knights made history Tuesday night by sweeping the Los Angeles Kings in four games in the first round of the NHL playoffs. The Knights were the first franchise in NHL history to sweep a Stanley Cup series in its inaugural season.

Local fans that couldn’t travel to the Los Angeles for the game celebrated at a team-hosted watch party at Mandalay Bay.

Check out the photos from the party from our Review-Journal photographers.

More Golden Knights: Follow all of our Golden Knights coverage online at reviewjournal.com/GoldenKnights and @HockeyinVegas on Twitter.</s>The Golden Knights played at Staples Center for the first time in the first-round playoff series.

Hockey fans cheer before the start of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series between the Golden Knights and the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) lines up his shot as Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) defends during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) defends as Los Angeles Kings center Tyler Toffoli (73) attempts to score during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland (5) hits Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown (23) during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings players get into a fight during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights left wing Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (41) and Los Angeles Kings center Nate Thompson (44) battle for the puck during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) defends the net during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Golden Knights at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights center William Karlsson (71) slips on the ice while moving the puck as Los Angeles Kings center Jeff Carter (77) defends during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) defends as Golden Knights center Jonathan Marchessault (81) watches the puck during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Los Angeles Kings center Alex Iafallo (19) and Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) battle for the puck during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) blocks a shot from Golden Knights center William Karlsson (71) during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland (5) and left wing Erik Haula (56) attempt to score as Los Angeles Kings defensemen Drew Doughty (8), Jake Muzzin (6) and goaltender Jonathan Quick defend during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Los Angeles Kings center Alex Iafallo (19) scores past Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights left wing William Carrier (28) gets into a fight with Los Angeles Kings left wing Kyle Clifford (13) during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights right wing Alex Tuch (89) moves the puck as Los Angeles Kings defenseman Christian Folin (5) defends during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights defenseman Jon Merrill (15) gets knocked down and hit by Los Angeles Kings left wing Adrian Kempe (9) during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights center Cody Eakin (21) celebrates his goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the third period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights players including center Ryan Carpenter (40) and defenseman Jon Merrill (15) celebrate the goal by Golden Knights center Cody Eakin during the third period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights left wing James Neal (18) shoots to score a goal against Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) during the third period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights left wing James Neal (18) celebrates his goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the third period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights players celebrate a goal by left wing James Neal (18) during the third period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights fans celebrate a goal by left wing James Neal (18) during the third period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights left wing James Neal (18) scores a goal against Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) during the third period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights center William Karlsson (71) scores a goal past Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8) and goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) during the third period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) and center Jonathan Marchessault (81) celebrate a goal by center William Karlsson (71) during the third period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) scores a goal past Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) during the third period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) and Golden Knights center William Karlsson (71) celebrate their win over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights center Jonathan Marchessault (81) celebrates a goal by center William Karlsson (71) during the third period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights players celebrate their win over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights center Cody Eakin (21) scores a goal against Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) during the third period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Golden Knights left wing David Perron (57) moves the puck around Los Angeles Kings center Tyler Toffoli (73) during the third period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

The Golden Knights played at Staples Center for the first time in the first-round playoff series to take on the Los Angeles Kings.

Check out the gallery above for photos from our Review-Journal photographers in Los Angeles.

More Golden Knights: Follow all of our Golden Knights coverage online at reviewjournal.com/GoldenKnights and @HockeyinVegas on Twitter.</s>The Vegas Golden Knights are in their inaugural season, and they’re making history for an NHL expansion franchise. Now up 3-0 in their series with the Kings, the Golden Knights look poised to move on to the second round.

And maybe, just maybe, they’ll earn the respect of the Los Angeles Kings. Because back in September, they certainly didn’t have it.

On Tuesday, NHL fans uncovered a Kings tweet from a Twitter argument in September that mocked the Golden Knights as “wannabes.” The tweet did not age well … at all.

That, of course, opened the Kings up to plenty of mocking on Twitter as they now face elimination at the hands of the Golden Knights.

Yeah, the Kings probably deserved that.

They might want to take notes from the NBA after brand accounts were encouraged to be nicer to one another. The Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks followed the guidelines to perfection.

The Golden Knights will have a chance to complete the sweep on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.</s>(AP Photo/Chris Carlson). Linesman Derek Amell (75) separates Vegas Golden Knights left wing Erik Haula, left, and Los Angeles Kings left wing Adrian Kempe during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series in Los Angeles, Su...

(AP Photo/Chris Carlson). Vegas Golden Knights left wing Tomas Nosek, left, battles Los Angeles Kings defenseman Dion Phaneuf for the puck during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series in Los Angeles, Sunday, April 15, 2...

(AP Photo/Chris Carlson). Vegas Golden Knights left wing Erik Haula, left, battles Los Angeles Kings defenseman Dion Phaneuf for the puck during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series in Los Angeles, Sunday, April 15, 20...

(AP Photo/Chris Carlson). Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty reacts after getting hit with a stick by Vegas Golden Knights center Jonathan Marchessault during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series in Los Angeles...

(AP Photo/Chris Carlson). Los Angeles Kings left wing Adrian Kempe, left, battles Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jon Merrill for the puck during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series in Los Angeles, Sunday, April 15, ...

LOS ANGELES (AP) - James Neal scored the tiebreaking goal with 5:37 to play, and the Vegas Golden Knights rallied from a third-period deficit to move to the brink of the expansion franchise's first playoff series victory with a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night.

Cody Eakin tied it with 13:50 left, and William Karlsson scored 21 seconds after Neal's goal in a third-period flurry for the Golden Knights, whose storybook debut season just keeps getting more exciting and more outlandish.

After opening their first postseason series with two home wine, the hockey upstarts from the desert took a 3-0 series lead by coolly winning their first road playoff game in front of an angry sellout crowd at Staples Center, where two recent Stanley Cup banners hang above the ice.

Marc-Andre Fleury made 37 saves for the Golden Knights, who became the first team to take a 3-0 series lead in this postseason.

Vegas will go for a sweep in Game 4 on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

Alex Iafallo scored his first career playoff goal in the first period for the Kings, who haven't won a playoff game at Staples Center since they last raised the Stanley Cup in June 2014. Anze Kopitar added a tipped goal with 2:04 to play, but Los Angeles couldn't get the equalizer.

Jonathan Quick stopped 23 shots, but the Golden Knights' three-goal flurry doubled their goal total against him from the first 201 minutes of play in this series.

Neal, the veteran goal scorer claimed from Western Conference champion Nashville in last summer's expansion draft, put the Golden Knights ahead when he walked in and beat Quick between the legs with a snap shot.

Karlsson then converted Reilly Smith's pass from the corner with a one-timer and the third career playoff goal for the former Anaheim prospect.

Vegas' offensive burst broke open a third straight game of tense, defense-dominated playoff hockey between a franchise that won two Cups while perfecting that style and another that didn't exist a year ago.

Drew Doughty played more than 27 1/2 minutes in the star defenseman's return to the Kings' blue line following a one-game suspension for hitting William Carrier in the series opener. Doughty also had partner Jake Muzzin back by his side after he missed the previous seven games with an upper-body injury.

The Golden Knights opened the series with the first two playoff victories in franchise history before their usual raucous fans on the Strip. The Kings kept it close in both games, losing in double overtime in Game 2, but never managed to take a lead on Vegas because they only scored one goal in the two combined games.

Back at Staples Center, the Kings looked more comfortable - but only marginally in this razor-thin series.

The Kings took their first lead of the series 13:14 into Game 3 when Iafallo roofed a shot behind Fleury so quickly that it was initially waved off by the officials, who eventually reversed themselves. Iafallo, the speedy Los Angeles rookie who became a surprise top-liner this season, hadn't scored a goal in his last 12 games since March 3, and he was scratched for Game 2.

Kopitar and Dustin Brown got assists on Iafallo's goal, earning their first points of the postseason. Los Angeles' top-end offensive talent was slow to emerge on the road, where the Knights' persistent two-way game and Fleury's goaltending ruled.

Neither team got much offensive traction in a scoreless second period, but the physical tone of the series remained. Erik Haula butt-ended Kopitar in the face after a cross-check, and Jonathan Marchessault was penalized for retaliating to a hit from Doughty, who then mock-clapped for Marchessault and pointed to his own head.

But the Knights kept pressing and tied it after a prolonged sequence of dominance in which Colin Miller's shot hit the post before Eakin buried Ryan Carpenter's cross-ice pass.

NOTES: Forward Tomas Tatar was a healthy scratch for the Golden Knights. The Slovak scorer had played in all 22 games since Vegas acquired him from Detroit, but has just two points in the last 10. ... Muzzin scored a career-high 42 points during the regular season. To make room for his return, Los Angeles scratched D Paul LaDue, who scored their only previous goal in the series. ... Margot Robbie, David Beckham and injured Dodgers slugger Justin Turner attended the game.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) falls to the ice as defenseman Jon Merrill (15) goes for the puck while Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown (23) looks on during the first period of Game 4 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 17, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto</s>Marc-Andre Fleury posted his second shutout and Brayden McNabb’s second-period goal proved the game-winner as the Golden Knights beat the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 to sweep their Western Conference quarterfinal series Wednesday night.

LOS ANGELES — Brayden McNabb was not a member of the Los Angeles Kings team that captured the Stanley Cup in 2014 and affectionately was known as the “cockroaches.”

But after spending the past three seasons with the Kings, it was appropriate that the Golden Knights defenseman helped exterminate his former team.

McNabb scored early in the second period for the lone goal to help the Knights to a 1-0 victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday at Staples Center and a sweep of their Western Conference quarterfinal series.

The Knights are the first franchise in NHL history to sweep a Stanley Cup playoffs series in its inaugural season. They also became the third team from the NHL, NBA or Major League Baseball to complete a four-game sweep to win their first-ever playoff series, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

The Knights await the winner of the San Jose-Anaheim series in the conference semifinals. San Jose leads that series, 3-0.

Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 31 saves for his 12th career postseason shutout, tying Terry Sawchuk for ninth all time. He also moved past Dominik Hasek into 11th on the all-time list with his 66th career postseason victory.

Fleury, who also blanked Los Angeles 1-0 in the series opener, made a huge glove stop on Kings’ leading scorer Anze Kopitar from point-blank range with a little more than 12 minutes remaining in the third period.

Los Angeles is one of four franchises to overcome a 3-0 deficit, knocking off San Jose in the first round in 2014. Kings defenseman Alec Martinez described the team as “cockroaches” because they wouldn’t die that season en route to their second Stanley Cup in three seasons.

But the Knights made sure there wouldn’t be a repeat performance.

After a scoreless first period dominated by Los Angeles, the Knights found their legs and took the lead on their first shot of the second.

Jonathan Marchessault took a hard check in his own zone from Kings defenseman Christian Folin in order to make a breakout pass to William Karlsson at center ice. Karlsson dished the puck to Reilly Smith and McNabb, who jumped into the rush to create a 2-on-1, one-timed Smith’s feed past Quick at 4:04 for his first postseason goal.

Ryan Carpenter nearly gave the Knights a 2-0 lead with a little less than five minutes remaining in the second after a Kings turnover, but his backhander was turned away.

Los Angeles’ best chance of the period came midway through when Alex Tuch tried a no-look, behind-the-back pass in his own zone that was intercepted. The puck eventually ended up with Tobias Rieder, and his drive was smothered by Fleury.

The Knights spent most of the first period pinned in by a tenacious forecheck from Los Angeles and were fortunate to head to the locker room scoreless after 20 minutes.

Fleury made 14 saves and the Knights also blocked nine shots, as Los Angeles held a 33-11 advantage in shots attempts.

Kings forward Kyle Clifford tested Fleury six minutes in with a low shot that was kicked out. Also, Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland got his stick on Tyler Toffoli’s drive from a prime scoring area in the final minute of the period after some strong work along the wall by Los Angeles’ Jeff Carter.

The Knights struggled to break out of their own zone and went more than seven minutes without a shot on goal in the first period after Quick turned aside Shea Theodore’s drive 1:11 into the first.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

More Golden Knights: Follow all of our Golden Knights coverage online at reviewjournal.com/GoldenKnights and @HockeyinVegas on Twitter.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.

1. Thrill kill. The Golden Knights came up with a huge effort on the penalty kill in the third period to stymie Los Angeles after Reilly Smith went off for tripping with 7:44 remaining. The Knights were 2-for-2 on Tuesday and killed 12 of 13 Kings’ power-plays in the series. 2. Block party. The Knights finished with 20 blocked shots, as Los Angeles owned a 67-41 edge in shot attempts. Defenseman Brayden McNabb posted a game-high five blocked shots for the Knights. 3. Deserved better. Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick was outstanding again but didn’tget enough offensive support. Quick finished with 20 saves in Game 4 and allowed seven goals in the series.</s>What the media is saying about the Golden Knights after sweeping the Los Angeles Kings.

What the media is saying about the Golden Knights after sweeping the Los Angeles Kings:

I figured the Golden Knights could win the first round of the playoffs, no matter who the opponent was. That it ended up being the Kings gave me pause for a moment, before it was obvious that the way the Knights roll their lines vs. the relative lack of depth for L.A. meant we would see an expansion team in Round 2.

Can Vegas win the Stanley Cup? Sure. Every team that’s 12 wins away from hoisting the Holy Grail has a chance, and few teams exhibit the cohesive play and depth of the Knights’ lineup. Will they win the Stanley Cup? If this is craps, I’m betting the “Don’t Pass” line. The remaining potential opponents en route to the Cup — the San Jose Sharks, Predators and Jets — can match the Knights’ firepower and their speed. In the case of the Predators and Sharks, they can deploy defensive assets to slow the Jonathan Marchessault line, which has been Vegas’ primary offensive engine.

But beyond that … the house money has been spent. The Knights could go from being a carefree team with no expectations and nothing to play for to one with a realistic shot at a championship. There aren’t a ton of rings in that room, outside of Fleury. Does the mindset that got the Golden Knights here change the closer they get to the ultimate prize for any NHL player?

Every player, coach and member of management came from somewhere else. Everyone performed this season as if they had a chip on their shoulder because their previous team deemed them expendable. Every game, the Golden Knights had someone on the roster who previously played for that night’s opponent and had a special reason to beat that team. That attitude fueled a unified effort to play every game with passion and purpose. The feeling that everyone had something to prove has now carried into the playoffs. It is working even better.

The lone goal-scorer in Game 4 was Brayden McNabb, the Knights’ expansion draft pick from the Kings last summer. He has 12 goals in 314 career regular-season games and had none in eight playoff games entering Tuesday, but here he was, sticking a one-timer past Jonathan Quick to give the Knights the most consequential goal in their young history.

There’s no historic precedent for what they’ve done. Their 66.4 point percentage in the regular season was 17 points better than any other expansion team since the league grew to something resembling its modern membership in 1967-68. Really, Vegas has been better than any first-year expansion squad in the history of the major North American professional sports leagues, period. This was true before they took the ice in the playoffs.

At this stage, though, what’s surprising about any of this? It’s almost impossible to win an NHL division, as the Knights did in the Pacific, on nothing but smoke and mirrors. The underlying stats never suggested that they did that, anyway. Of the league’s 31 teams in the regular season, Vegas was No. 8 in share of even-strength scoring chances and No. 10 in share of total shot attempts.

They took those last steps over the bench, weary with disbelief. Drew Doughty skated by himself back to the Kings end, his teammates slowly behind him in tow.

A post-playoff series handshake line as the losing team is not what the Kings planned at this stage of the season. Neither was scoring three goals in four games against a team that didn’t exist a year ago. That’s what the Kings will ponder for another lost offseason after a 1-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night that swept them out of the first round.

… Asked how long it will sting, (defenseman Alec) Martinez was short.

“All summer,” Martinez said. “Losing sucks. There’s no way around it.”

Marc-Andre Fleury was Vegas’ best player in the series and arguably has been the best goaltender so far in the postseason, but he had a 3.02 GAA in 2016-17 in the regular season and while he did step up during the 2017 playoffs when the Penguins needed him, he wasn’t used at all in the Stanley Cup Final. In fact, the Penguins had become so committed to the younger Matt Murray, that Pittsburgh gave Vegas a 2020 second round pick in exchange for the guarantee that the Golden Knights would take Fleury’s contract in the expansion draft.

Think about that, Pittsburgh surrendered a decent asset to Vegas just to make sure that the Golden Knights would take him. And now Fleury has provided Vegas with two shutouts in the first round.

Vegas is the first team to advance in the 2018 playoffs. They’ll get a chance to rest while we ponder the question: Just how far can this expansion team go?

Imagine putting another hockey team – an ice hockey team – in the desert and plopping it down behind the casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.

Imagine stocking it with players other teams didn’t want, and asking working people who had never seen hockey to pay major-league ticket prices to support the new team, called the Vegas Golden Knights.

Imagine these fans buying every ticket and screaming their lungs out at games for players they don’t know, dancing and believing and finding community in this new hockey team that became a rallying point after the mass murder of 58 people in their city.

And – stay with us now because this is the incredulous part – now imagine this team, the Golden Knights, not only competing in their first National Hockey League season, but winning. Imagine them winning 51 games and a division title and smashing virtually every expansion record.

This couldn’t happen. But it did. It’s still happening. Now imagine where else this could go.

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Bill Bradley can be reached at bbradley@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2909. Follow @billbradleyLV on Twitter.</s>Harry How/Getty Images(LAS VEGAS) – The Vegas Golden Knights went into their inaugural season with a plan most expansion teams follow: form the best roster possible with a mix of veterans and young players while amassing draft picks in an effort to build for future success. Ironically, and luckily for Vegas, things did not go according to plan.

A mix of seasoned veterans like Marc-Andre Fleury and James Neal combined with impressive performances by young players like William Karlsson not only allowed Vegas to be serviceable in the Western Conference, but be viewed as one of the most dangerous teams in the league. The misfit bunch soared to the top of the standings early on in the year and almost never looked back, stunning its fans and the league as a whole.

Golden Knights general manager George McPhee soon realized come the trade deadline the team wouldn’t be looking to add more future draft picks, but build this young team for a playoff run. Acquisitions of Ryan Reaves and Tomas Tatar helped fill out the depth in the roster, allowing Vegas to be the first team to clinch a playoff berth in its inaugural season since the 1979-80 Whalers and Oilers.

If the story stopped there it would already be a fairytale, but it hasn’t. Vegas opened the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings, a team known for upsetting top seeds in recent years, and made an emphatic statement, sweeping them in four games. The Golden Knights became the first NHL team, and just the third team in the four major sports, to sweep its first every playoff series.

With the shooting tragedy that occurred in Vegas in October, the Golden Knights were there to give the people of Sin City a way to escape, even just for a few hours, and rallied behind people who so desperately needed a reason to smile. The Golden Knights are an amazing story already, not only for just the NHL, but for the city of Las Vegas. And, the Cinderella story is not over yet.</s>NBC analyst Mike Milbury said Monday night that he wouldn’t be shocked to see the expansion Vegas Golden Knights to go “further than the second round.”

“They could actually play in June,” he said. “I shake my head when I say that, but it’s gone too long now.”

The Golden Knights continued one of the most fascinating seasons in pro history Tuesday when they downed the Los Angeles Kings with another 1-0 win to finish a four-game sweep of the Western Conference quarterfinal series.

Here are five reasons why the Golden Knights could win the Stanley Cup:

Fleury’s flying: No one, including the Boston Bruins' David Pastrnak, is having a greater impact for his team than Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. In his first three games, he had a 0.84 goals-against average and a .970 save percentage. Fleury, 33, might be playing the best hockey of his noteworthy career. He has been the Golden Knights’ MVP all season. He oozes charm, confidence and charisma. He was born to play in Las Vegas.

Pushy style: The Golden Knights have been in playoff mode since October. Most teams build up their intensity and championship ambition. But the Golden Knights stormed out of the gates in full gallop, displaying a speed-based, hard-charging, relentless, attacking style that is perfect for playoff success. Opponents believed the Golden Knights wouldn’t be able to sustain this taxing style into the playoffs. That theory has proved to be incorrect.

#VegasStrong: Vegas players wanted to do what they could to help their community heal from the mass shooting that left 58 dead just before the season opened. They have forged a bond with the community that seems to inspire them at every home game. Everyone in town is talking about the Golden Knights, and the overwhelming fan support has already made T-Mobile Arena one of the NHL’s loudest buildings. It’s a challenging road game for opponents.

Gallant men: Coach Gerard Gallant has played a major role in transforming a patchwork collection of players into a championship-caliber team. He is a player’s coach, an old-school hockey guy who gets the most out of his players by empowering them and propping up their confidence. He's an overwhelming favorite to win the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.

Everything to prove, nothing to lose: Every player, coach and member of management came from somewhere else. Everyone performed this season as if they had a chip on their shoulder because their previous team deemed them expendable. Every game, the Golden Knights had someone on the roster who previously played for that night's opponent and had a special reason to beat that team. That attitude fueled a unified effort to play every game with passion and purpose. The feeling that everyone had something to prove has now carried into the playoffs. It is working even better.
In ice hockey, the Las Vegas Golden Knights became the first NHL franchise to complete a 4-game sweep in the postseason during their inaugural season after their victory over the Los Angeles Kings.