The 3 Biggest Threats To The Golden Knights In The Pacific
Life’s good for Vegas hockey fans. They’re atop the Pacific Division, they’re the reigning Stanley Cup champions, and they’re winning games. If you’re in Sin City, you can’t complain. That is unless you’re a Raiders fan.
However, good things aren’t meant to last forever. Eventually, a newcomer will step in and challenge Vegas for the division. That’s why they play the game of hockey. In case you’re wondering, three teams pose a threat to the Golden Knights in the Pacific. For the record, the San Jose Sharks are NOT one of those teams in the NHL.
In fact, you can say that the Sharks don’t scare anybody. It took San Jose 11 games just to get their first win. 11 games! That’s as bad as the Detroit Pistons going without a win for the entire month of November. Let’s call the Sharks for who they are: the Detroit Pistons of the NHL.
So who are these mystery teams that might give Vegas fits? What do these teams bring to the table that causes some concern for hockey fans in Sin City? How can the Golden Knights counter these teams and strengthen their grip on the Pacific Division?
You can argue that Vegas’s biggest Pacific Division rival now is Edmonton. They always play each other tough and the games are always riveting. Just look at last season’s Western Conference semifinals. It was an instant classic that got the NHL talking.
Of course, you know the names, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Having two of the best players on your first line, let alone your team, makes you an instant threat. It’s easy to see why the Oilers are a popular pick to win the Stanley Cup every season, as a result.
Yes, Edmonton got off to a slow start. But that was due to the disconnect and frustration between former head coach Jay Woodcroft and the team. With Woodcroft at the helm, it was an endless array of defensive miscues and a lack of accountability. Now that he’s been replaced with Kris Knoblauch, the tide has turned in Alberta.
The best way to beat Edmonton? Beat them five-on-five. You can concede the first-line matchup to the Oilers. But the rest of the team is average. We learned this in that semifinal, where Vegas’s offensive depth proved to be too much for Edmonton to handle. The Golden Knights also learned that being short-handed made life more difficult for themselves.
Think of the fightin’ McDavids as this: they’re the hockey equivalent of a glass cannon. They’re a high-scoring team (most in the NHL last season with 325) that also allows plenty of goals (16th in the NHL last season with 256). Stuart Skinner also isn’t sufficient, which leaves him as a target.
This makes the Oilers ripe for Bruce Cassidy’s plan, which is an aggressive forecheck 20 minutes every period. Through blocking shots and wearing your opponent down, you can create opportunities and beat teams like the Oilers. Vegas led the NHL in blocked shots last season with 1,493 and is doing it again (third in the NHL this season with 487).
Vancouver is a young, hungry squad that can cause chaos for the defending champs in the Pacific Division. It’s been a hot minute since the Canucks have been relevant, mainly since the days of Roberto Luongo and the Sedin twins. However, a nice nucleus, led by Quinn Hughes (27 assists), J.T. Miller (14 goals, 25 assists), and Elias Pettersson (10 goals, 24 assists), has hockey fans in British Columbia thinking bigger.
Overall, Vancouver has been the most productive offense in the NHL, scoring 101 goals this season. But the Canucks have also been exceptional on the man advantage, ranking fourth in the NHL in power play percentage (27.4). You can count on facing numerous shots and scoring chances when facing Vancouver.
So how do you stop a bunch of Canucks? Well, you generate scoring opportunities galore. On November 30, the Golden Knights peppered Thatcher Demko with 44 shots, generating numerous scoring opportunities. Overwhelming Vancouver offensively worked wonders for Vegas.
Also, keep this in mind: Vancouver is a younger team than Vegas. In fact, they’re tied for being the eighth-youngest team in the NHL. They don’t have the playoff experience and chemistry the Golden Knights carry. Therefore, the advantage goes to the defending champs, especially if a playoff series goes seven games.
There’s a certain style that the Kings use to throw off the Golden Knights. Whenever these two play, Los Angeles plays at their tempo, choosing to let Vegas commit its own mistakes. That leads to good opportunities and scoring chances, causing frustration for the team in gold.
That’s proven by the fact that Los Angeles has the fourth-fewest penalty minutes in the NHL (190). Todd McClellan’s squad plays disciplined hockey that lets their opponents hurt themselves. The result? Scoring chances that translate into goals.
There’s also the scoring depth featured by the Kings. Like a star-studded Hollywood premiere, Los Angeles likes to roll out the red carpet in front of the net. Last season, they had 11 players that were in double digits in goals scored.
Another pleasant surprise for Hollywood’s hockey stars has been Cam Talbot. The former Oiler has posted spectacular stats so far (second in the NHL in GAA with 1.96 and tied for third in the NHL in save percentage with .930), making him an underrated pickup.
So how do you beat this pesky group of royalty? For one, you must stick to your game plan. As mentioned earlier, Bruce Cassidy’s game plan revolves around the forecheck. You take away the middle of the ice, along with any shooting lanes. After that, you attack.
Wearing down your opponent goes a long way in swinging the game in your favor. Take Vegas’s game against Edmonton on November 28 as an example. The Golden Knights were down 4-2 heading into the third period, yet they didn’t play desperation hockey. Instead, they stuck to their plan and got a point out of the game (they lost 5-4 in a shootout).
Los Angeles has scoring depth that will test the Golden Knights in the Pacific Division. However, McClellan has never been the type of coach to elevate his team to the next level. Luckily, Cassidy has, which is how he won the Stanley Cup for Sin City.
(Statistics provided by StatMuse.com and Hockey Reference)