The more things change, the more they stay the same? That’s apparently the case for the Vegas Golden Knights, who entered Wednesday in fourth place in the Pacific Division. Sure, 27 points doesn’t sound bad. But when you look at where the other teams are, only four Western Conference teams have 20 or fewer points.
In turn, that has caused some fans to panic. They’re worried that the Golden Knights might be heading towards another premature exit or worse: missing the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“What will happen if we miss the playoffs?”
“Will we have to start the rebuild now?”
Okay, those seem a tad exaggerated. However, that’s the current state of the Golden Knights. With teams like the Colorado Avalanche (37 points) running away with the points race, it’s safe to say that Vegas has some people worried about the state of affairs.
So, let’s look at what the Golden Knights must do before Santa Claus comes to town. While Vegas did some things differently during November, it still has some work to do. It’s time to quell the concerns of the people and plan a roadmap for everyone outside of Las Vegas to hate the Golden Knights again.
The Vegas Golden Knights must string together consistent hockey
It’s a miracle that the Golden Knights are currently in a playoff position. They’ve been through an enigmatic stretch of sorts, including six straight overtime losses. Those are extra points left on the board which could amount to being in first place in the Pacific Division.
Of course, there has been a good reason for this weird stretch. For one, the Golden Knights are missing key players such as Mark Stone and William Karlsson. These veteran players are the two-way bread-and-butter stars for the Golden Knights, helping the team in more ways than one.
However, the play is also contingent on having stars such as Mitch Marner (two assists in his last seven games entering Tuesday) and Pavel Dorofeyev (one goal in his last eight games) getting hot. If these players can go on a heater, Vegas will be much better.
It isn’t just the scoring, though. Vegas has 16.68 giveaways per game this season, seventh-highest in the NHL. Taking care of the puck is paramount to scoring. Otherwise, you’re handing momentum to the other team for free. That’s something that isn’t on par with winning hockey in Las Vegas.
The Golden Knights goaltending needs a veteran presence
Obviously, this constitutes Adin Hill coming back. But when is the Stanley Cup-winning netminder returning? That’s a million-dollar question that not many people know. However, one reinforcement is on the way.
Starting December 1st, Carter Hart will be eligible to play in the NHL. With Akira Schmid being good, but not consistent enough, and Carl Lindbom needing more seasoning, the Golden Knights could use whatever goaltending help they can get.
While the Golden Knights have limited the goals from coming in, the saves have been a different story (team save percentage of .892, 23rd in the NHL). There’s only so much defending that Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb can do before the dam breaks. Therefore, Vegas must get its veterans on board as soon as possible.
