It’s not easy for any hockey team to bounce back after losing their first game in a playoff series 7-1. Such is the case for the Golden Knights as they got stomped at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 but in the grand scheme of things, it makes sense as to why they lost and lost badly on Sunday.
Think about it for a moment, this was a team fresh off the heels of a Game 7 win over the Minnesota Wild that gave them a run for their money. Playing all that hockey on top of injuries, suspensions, and just regular fatigue from traveling all undoubtedly had a play as to why the Golden Knights played a dud of a game on Sunday.
The good news is, the Golden Knights got a few day’s rest and the ability to tweak what needs to be tweaked. Hopefully, head coach Pete DeBoer makes the right decisions during tonight’s Game 2 to bounce back and even the series up at 1-1.
The Golden Knights will bounce back in Game 2
It won’t be easy but considering that they’ll be getting legendary goalie Marc-Andre Fleury back to protect the net should help bring back their identity. Not only should Fleury help the cause but being a finalist for this year’s Vezina Trophy will also bring a nice confidence boost to that defensive aspect of the Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights are a strong, gritty team that in a blink of an eye, can also go on a scoring frenzy and tighten up their defense to be impenetrable when needed. They’ve done it before and should no doubt do it again tonight as they should easily bounce back this time around.
As always when it comes to playoff hockey, anything can and will happen. At the end of the day, Game 1 of this Golden Knights vs. Avalanche series is in the books and what’s in the past is in the past. All eyes will be on how the Golden Knights rise to the challenge and prove they can still be a team to get the job done.