There is this thinking that during a marathon, a person runs against distance, not other competitors and, for many, not even against time.
You’re fighting against countless mile markers to hopefully still be standing (and breathing) at the finish line.
It’s the same way for sports whose seasons drag on, for NHL teams that play 82 regular-season games.
Opponents don’t mean as much as surviving with more to play.
The Golden Knights on Saturday night began a three-game homestand before the All-Star break, and in beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-3 before an announced crowd of 18,511 at T-Mobile Arena, faced a team that would qualify for the playoffs if the postseason began today.