After what feels like an eternity, Vegas Golden Knights hockey is finally back and hopefully it will be back with a vengeance.
It has been a while hasn’t it? The Vegas Golden Knights have been on their bye week but they will finally get to hit a puck in competitive anger against the Carolina Hurricanes later.
To be precise, it has been 10 days since the Knights went into the All-Star break off the back of a 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins.
It was the third defeat of this long road trip and it has left Vegas with a disappointing and unflattering 25-20-7 record, occupying a wild card berth as a result.
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Entrenched in the middle of a five-horse race for the Pacific Division, the Golden Knights are starting to wake up to the reality that is staring them in the face.
And, as such, that’s why today’s tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes feels like it is carrying an extra layer of importance to it.
Granted, one loss isn’t going to throw a complete wrench in the works but it will just add to the narrative that this team is struggling to come up with answers to the many questions that hover above their head.
Today’s game also feels unique in that we will get the opportunity to see what new Head Coach Peter DeBoer has been working on over the bye week.
Although he didn’t have access to his players, DeBoer would have been able to implement his way of doing things among his coaching staff, including new assistant coach Steve Spott with the two having worked together for the majority of their respective careers.
We probably won’t see wholesale changes today, Rome wasn’t built in a day after all, but we should see subtle little tweaks that will give us some idea as to what DeBoer expects from this group going forward.
However, now isn’t the time for experimentation because, like it or not, the Golden Knights are mired in a real battle for the postseason and there is no guarantee that they will extend their season beyond April.
We’ve got to the point now where the sample size is large enough to spark concern, and the fact that Vegas hasn’t won more than four games in a row all year is worrying when you look at the schedule.
A hellish slate in February is followed by the toughest remaining schedule in the Pacific, and the ninth toughest in the entire NHL.
So, if inconsistency continues to plague this team then that could spell very real danger to ownership’s hopes of throwing a championship parade this year.
Add all that together and what you get is the fact that a Vegas Golden Knights win today would be just what the doctor ordered.
While it wouldn’t cure all their ailments, it would set the tone for the stretch period and it also would give those players in that locker room a much-needed boost.
And, let’s be honest, it is about time we were all treated to a win although they will have to do it without Marc-Andre Fleury, who is sitting out this game as punishment for missing the All-Star Game.
But, if you prefer the minor victories, then let’s just be thankful that Vegas Golden Knights hockey is finally back.
And it is about time. It has been far too long, old friend.