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Vegas Golden Knights Break Another Expansion Record

By Richard Cardinale |
BUFFALO, NY - MARCH 10: Erik Haula #56 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his game-winning shootout goal against the Buffalo Sabres during an NHL game on March 10, 2018 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Vegas won, 2-1. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY - MARCH 10: Erik Haula #56 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his game-winning shootout goal against the Buffalo Sabres during an NHL game on March 10, 2018 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Vegas won, 2-1. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Vegas Golden Knights passed the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for most road wins by a team in an inaugural season.

We’ve come to the point now that this Vegas Golden Knights team is capable of anything and everything. Sure a victory in Buffalo against the lowly Sabres is not the end-all-be-all but what is impressing me is their ability to find ways to win. That’s been the main difference between the Golden Knights and more than half the teams in the NHL today.

Think how much adversity the Golden Knights are going through at this moment. Due to the Golden Knights being so tight-lipped, no one really knows whats going on with star players James Neal and Reilly Smith. Oscar Lindberg, Luca Sbisa, William Carrier and Malcolm Subban all remain out. However, this team continuously finds ways to win even when they’re not on their home ice at T-Mobile Arena.

Vegas defeated Buffalo 2-1 in a shootout where Deryk Engelland scored the tying goal with under five minutes to go in regulation. The Golden Knights received goals from David Perron and Erik Haula in the shootout. Marc-Andre Fleury once again came to the rescue stopping 32 of 34 shots and earning a much-deserved victory. The win puts them at 20 road victories and the most by any team entering its inaugural season.

The Golden Knights keep getting contributions from lesser skilled players such as Ryan Carpenter and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Those two have continuously been a thorn in most opposing players sides. Claiming Carpenter off waivers from San Jose and picking Bellemare in the expansion draft has paid immediate dividends.

On the back end, we always see the pairings change, though the collective effort hasn’t gone unnoticed. The way Nate Schmidt leads that blue line night in and night out is a thrill to watch. In my personal opinion, Brayden McNabb is the most underappreciated player on this roster. Not just because he’s an excellent complement to Schmidt, but he brings a significant amount of character and plays a critical role in his defensive game.

Of course, we know about how Vegas survived the biggest scare of the season with their three best goaltenders injured. Maxime Lagace didn’t steal the show by any means, but he locked it down when the team needed him the most, and he served his purpose till Subban came back from injury.

With just 14 games left in the regular season, the Golden Knights still have more records they can break. However, the teams greatest need right now is health. For this team to make an impact during the spring, this team needs to get healthy quickly.

Next: Vegas Golden Knights: Tomas Tatar Scores Game-Winning Goal VS Devils

All in all, it’s a good thing the postseason doesn’t start today because this team needs to get to 100%. In the meantime, the Vegas Golden Knights will look for revenge against a Philadelphia Flyers team who came in and spoiled their fun at T-Mobile Arena a few weeks ago. Catch puck drop at 4 PM PT at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia with Dave Goucher and Shane Hnidy on AT&T Sportsnet.

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