Pathetic. Abysmal. Disheartening. Call Sunday's bad loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins whatever you want. But this isn't the same team that shocked the Los Angeles Kings last Wednesday.
It was a game where the Vegas Golden Knights had everything go wrong for them. Injuries, early deficits (AGAIN), it didn't matter. It left Golden Knights fans saying one thing after an embarrassing 5-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Imagine watching Richard Rakell, Bryan Rust, Egor Chinakhov, Justin Brazeau, and Ben Kindel score on you, blasting Andrew WK to the highest volumes all day. Also, imagine the penalty kill allowing two goals, putting Vegas in yet another dud. It's been the same old song and dance that has frustrated fans throughout the 2025-26 season.
Mind you, this was the same team that was expected to be in the Stanley Cup hunt this season. Yeah, they're still in first place in the Pacific Division. But the division itself has been terrible this season.
Fans want more from this team and are tired of being short-changed. You can take your pick among the stars who must elevate their game in crucial times, whether it's Rasmus Andersson or Adin Hill. The Golden Knights will face surprising teams like the Buffalo Sabres and the Detroit Red Wings on this trip, meaning that business will pick up. Therefore, things must change.
But let's make some takeaways from yet another dud. After all, the Golden Knights might need to learn something from their... AHL brothers? What went wrong on a random Sunday morning, making everyone spit out their coffee?
Mark Stone goes down with an injury in the first period
As if the Golden Knights didn't need enough problems, Mark Stone went down in the first period with—you guessed it—another injury. He was the victim of a Kris Letang nudge that rocked him, leaving him to exit the game.
You probably know what's coming. You know the jokes are going to pour in about the Captain "CiRcUmVeNtInG tHe SaLaRy CaP" and other conspiracy theories. However, don't let the conspiracy theorists tell you that losing Stone would be a massive blow. He's averaging 1.43 points per game entering Sunday, sixth-best in the NHL. There isn't a single player who can replace his production or replicate his role in the Golden Knights' offense.
Adin Hill is trending towards being a lost cause
When the Golden Knights traded Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals, they were choosing Adin Hill as their long-term goaltender. At first, the move looked promising: Hill had a GAA of 2.47, a save percentage of .906, and four shutouts. However, things have gone south fast, as proven by his performance on Sunday.
The netminder stopped 18 of 23 shots, missing the puck on routine plays. It's become an agonizing experience for Golden Knights fans, watching a player crap out after signing a six-year deal last season. When will Bruce Cassidy and company admit that they dropped the ball on this decision?
Death, taxes, and the Golden Knights not scoring first
Let's paint the picture for a second. The Golden Knights have been outscored in the first two periods of their last two games, 7-0. That's god-awful for a team that has Stanley Cup aspirations. That's also not going to get the job done against these playoff teams.
Sure, Vegas is terrific in the third period, especially this season. However, they can't continue to tread down this path in 2025-26. It doesn't matter if it's Hill who must improve or if it's the defenders taking away space. Something must change with this team.