A controversial Golden Knights netminder is suddenly turning a corner

Remember when Vegas Golden Knights netminder Adin Hill was hated and reviled? Fans came after his head with torches and pitchforks, getting ready to hang him by a noose in the town village.

Well, some people are starting to notice his spectacular turnaround. His last five games are proof of this, keeping the Golden Knights in every game possible. Yes, that includes a shutout on Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

My goodness, it's funny how a couple of moves to shore up the back end suddenly works. Getting Cole Smith and Nic Dowd to help out on the stay-at-home front has turned the defensive structure around. Now, you're seeing players not getting high-danger chances. Suddenly, you're seeing Hill look more comfortable, keeping the Golden Knights in games. The problem? The offensive structure has been inconsistent.

Oh welll. What are you going to do now?

Anyways, the Golden Knights netminder is doing whatever it takes to keep his team in games. It's a promising sign for a goalie who was badgered to be traded by the fans. It could be the fuel he needs to rebound and take over the Golden Knights' team.

Why Adin Hill's terrific five-game stretch matters for the Golden Knights

This season has seen the Golden Knights have something go awry. At first, it was the goaltending. The offensive attack kept up and kept pouring goals into the net. The problem was the goaltenders couldn't keep up, where they were either injured or underperforming.

Now? It's the spotty offensive front that hasn't delivered. Imagine how well the Golden Knights will look if they can get much more from their attack. We're talking about a team that can blow out opponents like they did against the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Chicago Blackhawks last week.

Once Vegas puts it all together, that'll cause all sorts of problems in the NHL. That means blowout wins and defeating *GASP* playoff-position teams. I know, it seems like a weird concept. However, it can be done, especially with the team getting healthy again.

A thriving Adin Hill is great news for the Golden Knights

Look, I know that the netminder has taken a beating this season. Having a GAA of 2.95 and a save percentage of .875 doesn't exactly have s*x appeal. However, that doesn't mean that Golden Knights fans should be quick to discard the Calgary native.

Fans saw that in the 2023 Stanley Cup run, where the Golden Knights rode Hill's hot hand to their first title. He stepped in nicely when Laurent Brossoit went down, keeping the team's apparatus functioning. That included an incredible Game 1 save that swung the momentum entirely in Vegas's favor. Of course, that was also combined with excellent scoring, where names like Jack Eichel and Mark Stone led the charge.

Imagine the heights that the Golden Knights could achieve if they get both units properly functioning. No, I'm not saying that it's entirely possible that Vegas wins the Stanley Cup. However, you can can't deny that they'd have a chance if everything goes right.