3. Getting It Done
One of the biggest bugaboos for the Vegas Golden Knights this year has been their inability at times to play a complete game.
It has cost them on a handful of occasions, including against the likes of the Montreal Canadiens, the Winnipeg Jets and the Colorado Avalanche to name but just a few.
Imploding during the middle period or being in a slump to start a period has reared its ugly head a few times for the Knights, and that lack of consistency and killer instinct is a concern.
However, and although it wasn’t always pretty, they knuckled down and did what they had to do in order to start this four-game road trip with a big win.
They were outshot 30-25 by a Blue Jackets team that are now without a win in their last five games, and they came under pressure for large chunks of the second and third periods.
Vegas was also outhit 19-10 and outdone in the faceoff circle (43%-57%), but they were helped by yet another sublime outing from Marc-Andre Fleury between the pipes.
Their penalty kill was also exceptional, going 4-for-4 despite PK expert Deryk Engelland being a healthy scratch, and that certainly helped the Knights to see off a plucky Columbus Blue Jackets team.
One of the main hallmarks of a contending team in the NHL is being able to grind out a game when you aren’t at your best, and that is something the Vegas Golden Knights were able to accomplish last night.