Look, it's only the preseason, alright?
Plenty of Vegas Golden Knights fans are saying that after the Golden Knights lost to the San Jose Sharks, 3-0. The first preseason game saw Carl Lindbom stop 10 of 11 shots and Jesper Vikman stop eight of nine shots.
The other side of the coin saw Jeff Skinner, John Klingberg, and Tyler Toffoli score goals. Klinkberg scored his on the power play, while Toffoli buried home the cherry on top in the form of an empty-netter.
Sure, it might seem like a bad loss to a rival. However, San Jose did have NHL players like Toffoli and Skinner. When you're trotting out Henderson Silver Knights players like Clydesdales, it makes life tough, doesn't it?
Anyways, it's time to see what the three takeaways were from tonight. Who stood out? What were the problems that plagued the Silver-er, the Golden Knights in the 3-0 loss?
1.) The offense must step up
Let's be honest. Most of the lineup you saw tonight consisted of Henderson Silver Knights on the ice. Therefore, the concern shouldn't fall with the Golden Knights regulars. However, that doesn't mean the AHL club is exempt from criticism, especially here.
Mustering 24 shots on goal and getting nothing won't get the job done, especially when you had trouble generating offense last season. With a loaded Pacific Division this season, the potential Silver Knights players can't let the attack become stagnant again. Otherwise, they'll be in a world of hurt.
2.) Stay out of the penalty box!
Getting 16 minutes is never a promising sign for a hockey team. You're gifting power play opportunities to the opposing team and are putting yourself in a tough position. Throughout the night, the Golden Knights were on the penalty kill.
It led to a broken down team that had aforementioned offensive issues, unable to generate solid scoring opportunities. If you want to win hockey games, getting 16 penalty minutes in a game isn't the way to go, especially against your division rivals.
3.) On the bright side, Jackson Hallum looked good
Look, we can talk about Carl Lindbom all night and say how spectacular he was against a group featuring NHLers like Jeff Skinner and Will Smith. However, one other bright spot for the Golden Knights was Jackson Hallum.
While the stats will say that he only had one shot on goal, he was efficient on the penalty kill. Hallum also moved around the ice fluidly, making easy plays. That could be a promising sign for the forward, specifically if he wants to get an NHL roster spot in the future.