Do you want to know what the greatest feelings in the world are? Some will say sexual pleasure. Some will say being around loved ones and good friends. Some will even say a hearty meal that fills the stomach up. However, there's no better feeling than the Vegas Golden Knights winning the hockey game by beating... the St. Louis Blues.
The Golden Knights brought joy and happiness to Las Vegas, doubling up the Blues, 4-2. The win snapped a four-game winless streak and was the team's first road win since January 7 against the San Jose Sharks. Vegas lost six of their last seven games entering Thursday's contest, raising concerns about when the team would overcome... their "Blues".
Well, that was the case as Mark Stone kicked off the scoring with an aggressive takeaway. The result was him and Joel Hofer, with the Captain winning the battle. 19 seconds into the game and the Golden Knights jumped out to a 1-0 lead.
Mark Stone just 19 seconds in! pic.twitter.com/qGfO3wyoaz
— SleeperNHL (@SleeperNHL) January 24, 2025
The fast start brings up three main takeaways for the Golden Knights after defeating St. Louis on Thursday. Is this team trending in the right direction after being on the struggle bus for the past two weeks? Have their fortunes finally turned around or is this a mirage as they face the Dallas Stars on Friday night? Let's break down the game and look at the three takeaways from Thursday's crucial victory.
The Vegas Golden Knights needed a fast start
The offense has taken its time getting warmed up in recent games. Players like Jack Eichel are working out the shooting kinks, finding their shot to get the Vegas Golden Knights back to their winning ways. However, Thursday's game was a fantastic start with Mark Stone's strong forechecking 19 seconds into the game.
It was also Victor Olofsson who fired a wrister home after the power play expired to put the Golden Knights up, 2-0. After scoring the first two goals, Vegas never looked back, allowing eight shots through after the first two periods. Little changes like this have fans feeling like things are changing for the team, specifically after the team was out of sorts in the last two weeks.
Sometimes, it takes getting back to basics to win hockey games. You must learn how to sacrifice your body and make selfless plays to win. Sure, Ilya Samsonov was shaky again. However, the defense picked up the slack, blocking shots and clogging lanes. As for the offense? Well, they needed a quick start after appearing sluggish in recent weeks. Why not jump to a 2-0 lead in the first nine minutes?