The Vegas Golden Knights took care of business against two middling teams on a two-game road trip, beating the Vancouver Canucks and the Seattle Kraken by a combined score of 9-4. One can point to Jack Eichel having an offensive explosion, along with Mark Stone and Tomas Hertl. But one unit quietly had a good showing in those two games: The goaltending.
Who would've thought that the Vegas Golden Knights would be carried by the goaltending group during those two games? The unit stood out with strong performances by Adin Hill and Carter Hart. First, it was the Stanley Cup hero who stopped 18 of 20 shots in Sunday's victory. Then came Hart, who stopped 25 of 27 shots.
Remember when this group was mediocre and the laughing stock of the Golden Knights' faithful in 2025-26? Everyone mocked how bad they were, considering they had a team save percentage of .884. In fact, not a single Vegas goaltender had an individual save percentage at or above .900 last season.
But that's where we stand after a terrific two-game swing in the Pacific Northwest. The Golden Knights still don't have a regulation loss at Climate Pledge Arena and they still own the Vancouver Canucks. Life is good and everything is rosy after major concerns about the goaltending from the Anaheim game.
Again, it's only four games into the season. But when Carter Hart makes kick saves and keeps the puck out of the net, that's a great sign. The same goes for Adin Hill using his glove to fend off a late rush. Suddenly, the Golden Knights have a good reason to believe that they'll win Stanley Cup No. 2.
Of course, this wouldn't be possible without the defensive structure keeping things locked down. Hart and Hill benefitted from lower shot volumes and not having defensive turnovers become a thing. But having competent goaltending saved the Pacific Northwest trip... and made Vegas look extremely dangerous.
What's next for the Vegas Golden Knights' netminders after a successful road trip?
Look, I'm going to keep it 100% with you. Don't expect this group to produce a Vezina Trophy winner unless Connor Hellebuyck comes in for the long haul. Even if the former Hart Memorial Trophy winner does arrive, there's still some concern about on-ice rust. After all, inactivity can be brutal after missing time from a holdout.
Still, what the Golden Knights netminders did during the road trip shouldn't be taken lightly. The group showed that it can handle the workload if given the right support. Yes, the Kraken and the Canucks are expected to be featherweights this season. Don't hound me too much for this take.
But the Golden Knights don't need Vezina Trophy play every night from their netminders. Their defensive system is set up to take away high-danger chances and steer opponents away from the goalie. If that structure holds, that's great news for whoever's in net for the Golden Knights. That could be even better news if they can carry that momentum into June for Stanley Cup No. 2.
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