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Vegas Golden Knights Report Card: Max Pacioretty

By Andrew Steele-Davis

SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 23: Max Pacioretty #67 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period against the San Jose Sharks in Game Seven of the Western Conference First Round during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on April 23, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 23: Max Pacioretty #67 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period against the San Jose Sharks in Game Seven of the Western Conference First Round during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on April 23, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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SAN JOSE, CA – APRIL 18: Vegas Golden Knights left wing Max Pacioretty (67) takes an open shot at the net while San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones (31) gets set for the stop during Game 5, Round 1 between the Vegas Golden Knights and the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, April 18, 2019 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA – APRIL 18: Vegas Golden Knights left wing Max Pacioretty (67) takes an open shot at the net while San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones (31) gets set for the stop during Game 5, Round 1 between the Vegas Golden Knights and the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, April 18, 2019 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Why The Grade

Max Pacioretty endured a slow start to life in Vegas and he only had two points (two goals) in his first 12 games with the Vegas Golden Knights. You can put that down to getting used to his new surroundings or still dealing with lingering injuries, but it wasn’t how the elite forward would have wanted to open this new chapter of his career.

However, Pacioretty is an elite player and, like all players who are masters of their respective craft, the left wing figured things out and became a hugely potent weapon for the Golden Knights and gave the franchise a deadly one-two punch with two high-scoring lines.

He finished 2018-19 with 22 goals to ensure that he has now recorded at least 20 goals in five of his last six seasons in the NHL, and he bounced back from what was an injury-ravaged 2017-18 season for the Montreal Canadiens.

Pacioretty’s 40 points were a respectable total for a second-line wing and that production should only increase now he’s had a year in Sin City under his belt. He was also a dominant force in the defensive zone and he achieved a career-high in hits with 119, which is a staggering amount for an elite sniper.

He went on a hot streak down the stretch and his play really elevated when placed on a constructed second-line alongside Paul Stastny and Mark Stone, with the trio meshing immediately and combining for a superb return of 27 points in 11 games during the regular season, before lighting up the San Jose Sharks in the postseason with 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points between them.

Next. Mark Stone Report Card. dark

It appears almost certain that, barring an almighty shock, Pacioretty, Stastny and Stone will line-up on together on the second-line for the duration of 2019-20 and that should see increased production from all three, which is tremendous news for the Golden Knights and awful news for the rest of the NHL.

Given his slow start and then superb finish, we felt it was fair to give Max Pacioretty a B Grade for 2018-19 and the exciting thing at play here is that, now fully fit and having a full year under his belt in Vegas, the forward should be even better in 2019-20 and if he can play at the peak of his powers then that should give the Golden Knights’ hopes of lifting the Stanley Cup a major boost.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 01: Max Pacioretty #67 of the Vegas Golden Knights waits for a faceoff in the second period of a game against the Edmonton Oilers at T-Mobile Arena on April 1, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Oilers 3-1. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 01: Max Pacioretty #67 of the Vegas Golden Knights waits for a faceoff in the second period of a game against the Edmonton Oilers at T-Mobile Arena on April 1, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Oilers 3-1. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

The Numbers:

Games: 66

Goals: 22

Assists: 18

Points: 40

Power Play Goals: 4

Power Play Points: 8

Plus / Minus: -13

ATOI: 17:00

PIM: 36

Blocked Shots: 20

Hits: 119

Takeaways: 39

CF%: 53.5

oZS%: 55.2

Games (Playoffs): 7

Goals (Playoffs): 5

Assists (Playoffs): 6

Points (Playoffs): 11

Plus / Minus (Playoffs): +1

ATOI (Playoffs): 19:34

Next Report Card: William Karlsson

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