Adin Hill hasn't been the only efficient goaltender in December

Part of why the Vegas Golden Knights have dominated December this season has been the team's adaptability. When you lose key players like Ivan Barbashev (upper-body injury) and Nicolas Roy (upper-body injury), you expect to lose some traction on the road to the Stanley Cup. However, that hasn't been the case.

Thanks to superstars like Jack Eichel (48 points) and Mark Stone (30 points), the Golden Knights have a record of 10-1-0 since December 1st. Being one of the best offensive teams in the NHL (3.56 goals per game, fourth in the NHL) is a part of that. But the attack isn't the only positive about the team.

Adin Hill has dominated the month with a record of 6-1-0, a GAA of 2.14, and a save percentage of .925. The Calgary native stepped up when the team was recovering from injuries, namely with Stone (lower-body injury) missing some time.

It's no wonder the Golden Knights are atop the NHL standings entering Monday (53 points, tied for most in the league). However, fans shouldn't focus on Hill's achievements during Santa's month alone. His backup deserves some recognition, especially after winning Sunday's game for the Golden Knights against the Calgary Flames.

Where is the love for Ilya Samsonov?

Vegas Golden Knights fans shouldn't forget about Ilya Samsonov, who's dominated December in his spare time. The Russian netminder has a record of 4-0-0 with a GAA of 1.25 and a save percentage of .948. Both Adin Hill and Samsonov have shutouts in the month, capping off an incredible month for both netminders.

Part of his dominant performance on Sunday came from his ability to track the puck. He stuck with every play and moved accordingly, keeping Vegas in the game. It led to Brett Howden eventually "breaking the ice" and scoring the game's first goal.

The result? Two more points for the Golden Knights, standing firmly atop the NHL standings. Of course, it helps beating the teams you're supposed to beat. However, that's made possible by Samsonov stepping up and taking the reins for the Golden Knights. When you're missing players such as Roy or Barbashev, every contribution matters.

The narrative changes for the Golden Knights goaltending

A month ago, there were some thoughts about the Golden Knights making a move and swapping out a goaltender. The name would've been Samsonov, who had a dismal GAA of .396 and save percentage of .875 in November. However, fans can forget about those rumors since the Russian goaltender has turned things around.

Now, Samsonov has a respectable GAA of 2.75 and a save percentage of .906. These numbers also prove the Golden Knights have a solid goaltending unit, making them one of the toughest teams in the NHL. That doesn't bode well for the 31 other NHL teams looking to win the Stanley Cup. There's also this neat statistic for Samsonov, showing he can handle pressure perfectly fine.

If the netminding unit can benefit from having a strong, lane-clogging system up front, that will lead to another deep postseason run for Vegas. Bruce Cassidy's prides himself on making life easier for his goaltenders through suffocating his opponents defensively. That means blocking shots and playing a complete two-way game. Don't be surprised if both goalies build off that momentum and dominate the league after January.