Vegas Golden Knights return with an almighty bang in Edmonton and it felt good
Just how good did that feel, Vegas Golden Knights fans?
While the Vegas Golden Knights’ 4-1 success over the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night in their one and only exhibition game won’t amount for much in the grand scheme of things, it was just great to feast our eyes on an actual hockey game.
Yes, after a long four months without the Golden Knights and hockey, the NHL made its long awaited comeback this week and it was glorious.
With the Stanley Cup qualifying games and the round-robin contests getting underway on Saturday, teams have been ramping up in Toronto and Edmonton this week ahead of the most exciting time of the year.
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While hockey in July is a strange concept, this is just a unique year and it has been great to have actual hockey to talk about.
Even discussing and pulling apart traditional hockey injuries has been a breathe of fresh air.
And, for Vegas fans, Thursday night was one to cherish as the Golden Knights made their return in explosive fashion.
Again, while just an exhibition game, the Knights picked up where they left off and it didn’t appear as though the long layoff had any lingering effects.
Marc-Andre Fleury was his usual self between the pipes and, barring any shocking turn of events, you would figure that the future Hall of Fame is the certain starter for Game 1 of the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Reilly Smith maintained his golden touch after lighting the lamp twice, while the special teams also impressed.
Plus, Nate Schmidt appears to be fine after not playing the final eight minutes or so of the third period, which is obviously excellent news for all concerned.
Of course, Max Pacioretty‘s continued absence from the Bubble continues to cause some concern but, outside of that, everything is trending in the right direction for the Golden Knights.
Thursday night’s outing will certainly maintain the feel-good factor ahead of Vegas’ game against the Dallas Stars on Monday in what is the first of three round-robin games that will dictate seeding for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
How the Golden Knights approach those three games remains to be seen but, if last night was anything to go by, they mean business and they don’t appear to be in the mood to mess about.
They remain one of the favorites to go the distance this summer and lift the Stanley Cup, and they have all the pieces in place needed to win the war of attrition and the greatest prize in all of sports.
But, whatever happens, the fact that hockey is now back is worth celebrating and we can finally get back to all things Vegas Golden Knights.
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We have been quiet over the last couple of weeks, and we are sorry for that, but we will be back every single day with analysis and plenty more as the Vegas Golden Knights begin their postseason adventure.
Let’s go!