It feels good to hush somebody who's been talking smack about you. That person has been laying into you about your performance, calling you various names.
"Garbage."
"Overrated."
That's the type of barrage the Vegas Golden Knights have dealt with since the 2024-25 season started. It didn't matter if they defeated the reigning Hart Memorial Trophy winner, Nathan MacKinnon, nor if they beat the defending Western Conference champions, Edmonton Oilers. Not many people were convinced the Golden Knights were a legitimate team.
Then came the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, who provided an opportunity for a big win. And win, they did. The Golden Knights edged the Jets, 4-3, to improve their record to 15-6-3. They also bumped their point total to 33, boosting their Pacific Division lead. Today was a good day in Las Vegas.
Brett Howden and Ivan Barbashev took those critical words and shoved them up their adversaries'... rears. They continued leading the offense with two goals apiece. The result? Two points for the home team as they returned from a long five-game road trip. Of course, Jack Eichel got two more assists with amazing passing.
The same couldn't be said for the Jets, who are wrapping up a long six-game swing away from Manitoba. Currently, they're 2-3-0 on that trip with the finale in Dallas, Texas. Better hope you can take on the Stars because they look like Stanley Cup contenders again.
But enough about our northern neighbors. It's time to focus on three things that stood out from the Golden Knights's big win over the NHL's best team. What did the home team do right at T-Mobile Arena? Who made an impressive impact in the contest? Let's dive into the X's and O's and see the three takeaways from the Golden Knights's big win over the Jets.
The Vegas Golden Knights "finally" got their signature win
Now, it's debatable whether the Vegas Golden Knights have had any signature wins prior to Friday's 4-3 victory. One can point to the Golden Knights being 3-1-0 against teams currently in the Western Conference playoff picture before Friday's contest as an example. Victories over teams like the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers are also shining examples.
However, Friday's victory over the Winnipeg Jets was the win the Golden Knights desperately needed. They went up against the NHL's best team (36 points) and got a tight victory over them. They got timely goals from Ivan Barbashev and Brett Howden (two goals each), generating timely offense when the game was on the line. They also saw Jack Eichel add two more assists to his total, bumping him to 28.
Sure, those skeptics will point at Connor Hellebuyck sitting out Friday's game. However, when you're going up against the league's best power play (33.8% entering their game against the Golden Knights) and the third-best attack (3.91 goals per game before Friday's game), you should give yourself a pat on the back for a win.