Vegas Golden Knights: 26 thoughts after 26 games
Thanksgiving is almost here so it seems an apt time to take stock of the Vegas Golden Knights a quarter way through the 2019-20 NHL regular season.
Any expert will tell you that Thanksgiving acts as a line of demarcation for teams to assess where they are, and that will be the case for the Vegas Golden Knights.
And, two months in, it is fair to suggest that this year hasn’t exactly gone to plan for the Golden Knights so far.
They currently occupy 5th place in the Pacific Division and they aren’t playing like a team who can compete for the Stanley Cup.
It has been a strange season in many ways and, with the Knights having now played 26 games, I thought it would be a good opportunity to offer 26 of my own thoughts on the state of play within the franchise right now.
Let’s get started…
1. The Vegas Golden Knights do not look like a Stanley Cup contender right now and, to be blunt, they don’t exactly look like a playoff team either. All franchises go through slumps during the course of a gruelling 82-game regular season, but the body of work and the eye test suggests that something isn’t quite right with this team.
2. What is it? It is hard to put my finger on it exactly but the identity that this team has played with since entering the NHL in 2017 isn’t quite as strong as what it once was. Has the magic worn off? Are these players no longer playing with chips on their shoulders? This was always going to be the issue and the next month should tell us a lot about this team.
3. Make no doubts about it, though, this team is frustrating to watch this year and they aren’t playing up to their potential. Not nearly enough.
4. Because, for all of their faults, of which there are many, I still believe this is a talented roster that is loaded on firepower and they boast a future Hall of Famer in goal.
5. Speaking of which, just where would the Vegas Golden Knights be without Marc-Andre Fleury this year? He has been outstanding with a 11-6-2 record with a 2.54 Goals Against Average and a .919 Save Percentage.
6. I can only think of one bad game Fleury has had this season, and that was against the Edmonton Oilers at the weekend where he could have done better with Ethan Bear‘s goal. But, overall, Fleury has been standing on his head for this team and he’s already made a slew of highlight-reel saves.
7. And, on that note, Fleury already has the Save of the Year wrapped up without a doubt. THAT stop to absolutely rob Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nic Petan was sublime, and the sheer athleticism it took to pull it off was impressive, which is why I think Fleury’s save was better than Tuukka Rask‘s effort. I’ve attached both saves, Fleury above, and Rask below, for you to compare and make your own judgement.
8. I’ve really liked how Cody Glass has equipped himself through his first 26 games as a professional hockey player in the National Hockey League. He has four goals and five assists for nine points with a -7 rating, while he’s become a cornerstone piece of the top power play unit. Yes, he’s had a couple of shaky games recently but that’s natural, all rookies go through slumps. And, it hasn’t helped that he’s been playing on the wing. The Knights need to make a move to allow Glass to play as a center where he is more comfortable and, plus, he thrived centering a second line with Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone. That line needs to be reunited.
9. I did a piece on this last night, which you can read here, but I have really liked William Karlsson‘s game so far this season. He’s tied for the team lead in points with 23 (eight goals, 15 assists) and he’s also excelling in the defensive zone too.
10. Max Pacioretty looks like the player who could be a real difference maker for this team come the postseason. He has eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points, same exact stat line as William Karlsson, and he’s well on pace to surpass the 40 points he recorded last year. Pacioretty with his deadly release is built for the big moments and he’s perfect for this franchise. Expect him to play a huge role down the stretch.