Vegas Golden Knights: Three keys to beating the Blueshirts
New York is the concrete jungle where dreams are made of. Well, that will hopefully be the case for the Vegas Golden Knights who take on the New York Rangers in The Big Apple tonight.
The Vegas Golden Knights start a three-game road trip on the east coast against the Blueshirts tonight, before taking on the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday and then facing the New York Islanders on Thursday.
Tonight will be no easy task for the Knights at the World’s Most Famous Arena, though, given that the Rangers are currently on a five-game point streak (4-0-1) and are chasing a playoff berth.
They are 8-4-2 at Madison Square Garden this year and boast one of the premier talents in the entire NHL in Artemi Panarin, who leads the Rangers in points with 33 (12 goals, 21 assists).
It is a big game for both teams and the Golden Knights really need to get going after carving out a less than stellar 5-6-3 record in November, which simply isn’t going to get the job done.
So, on that note, let’s go over some keys to the game…
1. Shutdown Artemi Panarin
Artemi Panarin firmly belongs in the upper echelons of elite players in the National Hockey League, and he is proving that he’s worth every penny of the $81,500,000 the New York Rangers shelled out to lure the Russian stud to The Big Apple during the off-season.
Through 25 games Panarin has contributed 12 goals and 21 assists for 33 points, including 10 points on the power play.
He’s a playmaking king and he also boasts a wicked and deadly release, which is normally put to use on the power play.
Panarin makes the Rangers tick and their play goes through their star, as well as through franchise center Mika Zibanejad.
Elite game-changers have the talent to make plays out of nothing and Panarin certainly does that for New York, so the Golden Knights are going to have to stick with Panarin and cut off the Blueshirts’ biggest supply line.
Because, if they let Artemi Panarin wreak havoc then it could be a very, very long night.
2. Beware of the blueline
Want to know something interesting about the New York Rangers?
They boast a very dynamic blueline.
We’re only in December yet the Blueshirts have had 74 points (23 goals, 50 assists) come from their defense, which is just incredible.
Tony DeAngelo – a player we’ve pinpointed as a perfect trade target for the Knights – leads the way with 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) while rookie Adam Fox has five goals and nine assists for 14 points, including two game-winners in his last three games.
Jacob Trouba, who was just one of New York’s big off-season additions, has contributed 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) and they have a blueline unit that can do it all.
And the Rangers defense doesn’t just hammer shots from the point, players like Fox and DeAngelo are elite when it comes to jumping up in the play and joining the rush, especially on the power play.
So, while the Golden Knights are going to have to pay close attention to the likes of Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad tonight, they are also going to need to try and limit the defense in the offensive zone.
3. Score first
It sounds simple but you understand how important this is going to be when you look at the stats for both teams.
The Golden Knights are 11-3-1 when scoring first this season but are an awful 2-8-3 when going behind, while the Rangers are 11-4-2 when lighting the lamp first and are 2-5-1 when allowing the first goal of the game.
So, logic dictates that the Vegas Golden Knights are going to have to get off to a fast start and strike first if they want to come out on top tonight.
After all, Madison Square Garden is a loud building so if the Knights can silence the home crowd early then that could play a factor too.
And then there is the added caveat that the Golden Knights still haven’t won more than two games in a row, which is something they will try to rectify tonight.
Next. Opportunity awaits during East Coast road trip. dark
But, if they give up the first goal of the game then that could play into the mental aspect of things, so it is imperative that the Vegas Golden Knights come out flying, get the legs going, get the first goal and then take control of the contest from there.
Let’s not forget, too, that the Rangers have won four straight at home and are playing with some real momentum right now, so giving up the first goal to the Blueshirts could prove all so costly for the Golden Knights.