Death, taxes, and the Vegas Golden Knights winning their Opening Knight game. That's a famous quote said by Benjamin Franklin in a parallel universe. The Golden Knights took care of business against a young, inexperienced Chicago Blackhawks team on Tuesday, 5-2.
There were numerous reasons why Vegas made it 8-1-1 all-time in season openers. For one, a balanced scoring attack did the job and left Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight on the edge. There was also Carter Hart, who rebounded nicely from his Stanley Cup Final showing with a strong performance.
Now comes the part where people start reacting to the showing in a certain way. They think that it'll be another Stanley Cup Final showing with another Western Conference banner raised. Let's pump the brakes, folks. There are 83 more games to go with spare change before we truly see where this team is at.
Speaking of overreactions, there are three massive overreactions to explore after Tuesday's win. What are some things that can't be overvalued just yet? Are the Golden Knights facing fresh new competition in the Pacific Division? Let's dive into the superlatives and see what's shaking in the Realm.
The goaltending will be just fine
The Golden Knights had a literal layup in front of them on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. They were without Connor Bedard and were still a young team with little NHL experience. Combine that with journeymen players and the recipe calls for a 5-2 Golden Knights win.
Sure, Hart played well after stopping 24 of 26 shots. That's great news for a goaltender who statistically had a Stanley Cup Final to forget. But let's not get carried away with the consensus that everything is fine in goaltender land just yet.
Besides, Ryan Craig's defensive structure deserves its flowers. The Golden Knights prevented the Blackhawks from getting the inside and were efficient at ensuring safer shots at Hart. If the structure remains upright, that'll give Vegas new life in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Vegas Golden Knights will still have Edmonton as tough competition in the Pacific Division
Give two Pacific Division teams easy opponents on a random Tuesday night. Make the venue at home and see what happens when the two are pitted against weaker opponents on paper. What happens? Well, one of those opponents will slip up because of a top heavy forward group and bad goaltending.
That was the case with the Oilers, who still look like the same ol' Oilers to Golden Knights fans. Head coach Mike Babcock saw the league's best player, Connor McDavid, go relatively silent in the season opener, leaving more questions than answers. If there's going to be Pacific Division competition, it'll likely be the San Jose Sharks.
The Vegas Golden Knights still need a shooting wing
If Tuesday was any indication, the Golden Knights were fine without Pavel Dorofeyev. They got goals from wingers Victor Olofsson, Trevor Connelly, and Mark Stone. Yes, the last goal was an empty-net goal from the Captain. However, it drives the point home that balance is key for Vegas.
The Golden Knights entered this season with a massive question about the wing's production and whether it was sustainable. Low-cost options like a reliable veteran in Olofsson and a rookie in Connelly prove that Vegas should handle the scoring workload just fine.
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