Vegas Golden Knights: Five must-watch games in November

We’re a month into the 2019-20 NHL regular season and November is shaping up to be a tough one for the Vegas Golden Knights.

After a mixed October, the Vegas Golden Knights will look to build some momentum this month although they face a plethora of stern tests in their path.

There are a host of mouthwatering games to look forward to in November, not least another matchup against bitter rivals the San Jose Sharks and a handful of contests against Stanley Cup contenders.

Championships aren’t lost in November – nor are they won – but we will certainly get a good idea as to the exact makeup of this Vegas Golden Knights team.

And, on that note, let’s take a look at the five most mouthwatering matchups to look forward to in the month of November…

1. November 7 at Toronto

The Maple Leafs are a Stanley Cup contender and, despite their mixed start to the year, they are a dangerous team who are loaded with talent.

They may be 8-5-3 on the year so far having failed to really set the world alight, but Toronto boasts enough firepower to take down an entire army and they can simply blow teams away.

John Tavares will be back in the lineup for this game and that should give the Leafs a spark, while Auston Matthews has been lights out through the first month and a bit of the season with 18 points (12 goals, six assists).

Mitch Marner has also been playing at an elite level with four goals and 13 assists for 17 points, while Frederik Andersen can be relied upon to get the job done between the pipes.

This should be a showdown between two teams who can really slug it out offensively, and it has all the ingredients to be a thriller.

2. November 9 at Washington

Are the Capitals still a legit Stanley Cup contender? On early evidence so far this year, you would have to 100 percent say that they are.

They have been one of the best teams in the National Hockey League through the first month of the season, and they appear to have thrown the shackles off with a more aggressive approach in the offensive zone.

And their efforts have been spearheaded by defenseman John Carlson, who is playing at an otherworldly level.

Through 17 games, Carlson has been playing at an MVP click with eight goals and 18 assists for 26 points, including eight points on the power play.

Carlson is the early favorite for the Norris Trophy and he has been the straw that stirs the drink for the Capitals so far this season.

He drives the play for Washington and his ability to pick out Alex Ovechkin in his office on the power play is uncanny.

Let’s also not forget that these two franchises share history having battled for the Stanley Cup in 2017-18, and the meeting at Capital One Arena on Nov, 9, will be the first time these teams have done battle in nearly 11 months, so there is sure to be plenty of spice around this contest.

3. November 21 vs. San Jose

It feels an eternity ago since these bitter rivals last slugged it out but, in reality, it was only last month when the Golden Knights beat the Sharks in both games of a home-and-home double-header to open the 2019-20 regular season.

Just a humble brag there.

But it won’t be long until they do battle again when San Jose come to T-Mobile Arena for the third of four meetings this year, with all four games taking place in the first half of the season which seems strange.

Anyway, contests between the Knights and the Sharks are always mouthwatering and action-packed affairs, and this one should be no different, especially when you consider that San Jose is a desperate hockey team right now.

Despite boasting a plethora of talent on their roster, the Sharks have been largely awful so far this year and are way down the Pacific Division standings.

With the likes of Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Logan Couture and Evander Kane on the roster, it can’t be too long before the Sharks wake up from their slumber, so this game could be used as a spark for them.

As it could for the Golden Knights who have hardly been setting the world alight themselves. They have been plagued by inconsistency and their inability to play a full 60-minute game has really hurt them.

However, going up against their foes in-front of an electric T-Mobile Arena should motivate the Knights and it could be another riveting chapter in the story of this captivating rivalry.

5. November 25 at Dallas

For the second straight year the Dallas Stars have come out of the gate crawling and, also for the second consecutive season, their big guns have failed to impress.

Captain Jamie Benn is yet to hit double figures in points, as is new recruit Joe Pavelski, while Tyler Seguin has only just reached the 10-point plateau.

Overall, and to coin a line from Mad Men, “Not Great, Bob!”

However, we’re still very much in the early stages of the season and, as they did last year, the Stars can turn it around and go on a run to ensure they stamp their playoff ticket.

All they need is a spark and that could come against the Golden Knights, who themselves need a jolt of energy in order to snap back into life and add some much-needed consistency to their game.

You could rewrite this matchup as a contest between two Stanley Cup contenders who have yet to really find their mojo and, as such, this could be a real interesting game with both teams desperate for points.

Overall, the Vegas Golden Knights have shown too many flaws to start the year and, while it is far too early to draw any conclusions good or bad, they need to start churning out wins on a consistent basis and November would be the perfect month to start given some of the big games on the schedule.