A surprisingly simple approach to Brett Howden dominating in his return

If you look at the Vegas Golden Knights health-wise, this isn't a healthy team. You've lost prominent names like Mark Stone to wrist injuries, leaving them on LTIR. But he's not the only player who has been hurt for Vegas.

Brett Howden has been one of many injury casualties for the Golden Knights this season. The young forward suffered a lower-body injury over a week ago, missing some time. But there's good news on the horizon.

First, Howden returned to practice on Wednesday, preparing for the East Coast trip. With only one goal in tow, the 27-year-old can get back on the winning track with a strong trip. Of course, a goal or two would help and put him on the right path.

But the objective's much simpler than that. In fact, goals don't even need to be part of the grand scheme. All it takes is putting points on the board. Let's look at how the young forward can make that happen.

Brett Howden must keep it simple for the Vegas Golden Knights

Sometimes, the best things in life are meant to be simple. That means not overcomplicating everything and making the right plays when called upon. I would like everyone to turn their attention to Reilly Smith defending Howden in a September practice as an example.

Smith is a veteran defender who's seen players try to cut through many times. He knows how that play unfolds and deters Howden in the simplest form. But imagine if the 27-year-old had Keegan Kolesar or Colton Sissons to skate down with him. He could make the easy pass here and score on the odd-man rush.

Yes, this was one-on-one drills and Vegas isn't the best team in such scenarios. However, you can wear your opponent down with puck possession and a quick attack, carrying the momentum throughout the game. The good news is Howden's capable of doing this.

With two underachieving teams and a squad that Vegas just saw on Monday, that could give Howden the necessary cushion to thrive. Considering Vegas has been on an offensive heater (NHL-best 4.29 goals per game entering Friday) and the defensive game is turning around, that could make things better. It could even make his doppelganger, Justin Bieber, a little jealous.