Vegas Golden Knights: Successful Six-Game Road Trip
With the toughest stretch in the rearview mirror, the Vegas Golden Knights should be smooth sailing for the remainder of the season.
Last time this Vegas Golden Knights team went on a six-game road trip out east, they had their worst stretch of games all season long. The team went 1-5-1 against the Islanders, Rangers, Bruins, Senators, Canadiens and Maple Leafs. This time, they headed out to Western Canada and traveled east again for another tough road trip.
With tough opponents such as the Flames, Jets, Wild, Capitals, Penguins, and Sharks, many people predicted this would be the point the Golden Knights would finally fall in the standings. Many people predicted that this road trip would doom Vegas for the rest of the regular season. But once again, this team proved the naysayers wrong.
The expansion franchise found a way to rattle off four wins in very tough road cities. The Golden Knights overcame a one-goal deficit late in Calgary and won in overtime in Winnipeg. The team had a bit of a clunker against Minnesota as they fell 5-2 against the Wild.
Vegas quickly bounced back with one of the most entertaining games of the year against the Washington Capitals. Both teams traded goals back and forth until finally, Alex Tuch put the Golden Knights ahead for good. Marc-Andre Fleury shut the door for 20 saves on 23 shots in a 4-3 victory.
However, Fleury’s return to Pittsburgh on Tuesday didn’t go according to plan. The team had an excellent video tribute to the Flower, and it was a feel-good moment for any Penguins hockey fan. But the Sorel, Quebec native gave up five goals on 38 shots as the Golden Knights came up short against the Penguins by a final score of 5-4.
The Golden Knights finally went back to the western time zone to play the San Jose Sharks in the Shark Tank. This game nearly mirrored the previous game against Washington where neither team quit. With Vegas down late in the game, a snipe from an unlikely source in Brayden McNabb tied the game. Then “Real Deal” James Neal went five-hole on Martin Jones for the eventual game-winner. Jonathan Marchessault scored an empty net goal to seal the Golden Knights 5-3 victory to cap off the road trip.
Who would’ve thought that the Golden Knights would have four different 20-goal scorers? Marchessault joined Neal, Erik Haula and William Karlsson in the 20-goal club. The next player that’s likely to join that list is Reilly Smith who’s only four goals shy of that accomplishment.
The Vegas Golden Knights finally come back to T-Mobile Arena for an extended homestand. Nine of the next ten games are in the Fortress where Vegas thrives. The Golden Knights are a league-best 19-3-2 when they’re on home ice with the fans on their side. If Vegas goes on another massive run at home, we could potentially see them locking up the division if everything goes according to plan.
Next: Vegas Golden Knights: Ryan Carpenter May Have Role In Stretch Run
All in all, a very successful trip for the Vegas Golden Knights who have improved immensely on the road lately. If this team can mix in some results on the road come playoff time, a fair warning should be put out to the seven other western conference teams to watch out for the Golden Knights in April. The Golden Knights next test comes against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday at 5 PM PT at T-Mobile Arena.