DeBoer: Golden Knights 'have no margin of error'

The Vegas Golden Knights' playoff hopes took another hit Monday with a 3-2 loss to the lowly New Jersey Devils on home ice.

With the loss, Vegas remained three points back of the Los Angeles Kings for third in the Pacific Division with the two teams even with 77 games played and four points back of both the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators - who both have a game in hand - for a wild-card spot.

The Golden Knights have never missed the playoffs in their brief history, but are in danger of seeing their streak of postseason appearances end in the team's fifth season. 

"We got to win them all. It's pretty simple, we got to win them all," head coach Peter DeBoer said. "Circumstances have put us in a situation here where we have no margin of error... It doesn’t get any more desperate than that.

"I would think that motivation would be the least of our problems right now.”

Of the teams Vegas is chasing for the a playoff spot, only the Stars remain on their schedule, meaning the Golden Knights will be forced to do a lot of scoreboard watching over the season's final two weeks.

"We have to find a way to win hockey games," forward Jonathan Marchessault said. "For the first time, we're going to need help from other teams. They're going to need to lose. That's just the way it is."

The Golden Knights will open their final five-game stretch on Wednesday against the Washington Capitals, but will likely be paying close attention as the Kings visit the Anaheim Ducks Tuesday, and the Vancouver Canucks - who could jump Vegas in the standings - host the Ottawa Senators.