Vegas Golden Knights fans have noticed a particular trend this season. The team starts slow and finds itself in a hole early. Sometimes, they'll dig themselves out of a hole and get the loser point. Even more rarely, do they win in overtime and even *gasp* the shootout.
But there's a good reason for that. I came across an eye-opening stat while doomscrolling on X (or Twitter for the originals) that revealed how... erratic the team has been this season. We're talking about starting slow and suddenly turning it up in the later periods before Saturday's game.
The Golden Knights have allowed 59 goals in the 1st period this season, 2nd most in the NHL.
— Tyler Bischoff (@Bischoff_Tyler) February 1, 2026
The Golden Knights have allowed 44 goals in the 3rd period this season, 2nd fewest in the NHL
I guess you can say that the Golden Knights are "hulking up" like Hulk Hogan. The only difference is that Vegas mostly loses its games out of sheer exhaustion. But the truth is that is has become the trend for Vegas this season.
They've found themselves down in massive holes (i.e., the one on Saturday against the Seattle Kraken), only to claw their way back. The same can be said about Thursday's game against the Dallas Stars, where they used a massive third period to steal a point. The "point?" Vegas turns it up when they're up against the wall.
The Vegas Golden Knights can't live off the high of coming back in the third period
This has been the norm for the Golden Knights this season, whether they do it against opponents like the Colorado Avalanche, the Anaheim Ducks, or the Edmonton Oilers. That has resulted in either failed comebacks or only getting one point. While loser points are nice on the surface, you must wonder if getting nothing but the loser point is good for the long term.
That's especially true with Pacific Division teams like the Edmonton Oilers and the Anaheim Ducks quickly gaining on you. Suddenly, you're tied for the most points with Edmonton and have the Kraken three points behind you. If the slow starts continue to plague you, things could turn ugly in an instant.
That's why you must get off to better starts against teams like the Avalanche and the Stars. When you start to slump and allow unanswered goals, that builds up quickly. You're expending your energy, trying to save a point or two. The result? 14 overtime losses.
How much longer can the Golden Knights sustain this level of play?
Let's be honest. The Golden Knights have dealt with the usual ugly injury bug this season. Losing key players like Mark Stone, Brayden McNabb, and William Karlsson has hurt the team more than you realize.
Suddenly, you don't have players defending the slot or playing stay-at-home defense. You don't have a puck-moving forward who can spark the offense with excellent facilitating and positioning.
That's what makes the overtime/shootout losses against teams like the Colorado Avalanche much more impressive. Not being 100% against quality teams and still pulling off points is good work. Still, there's more that the Golden Knights can do.
The Golden Knights must utilize their system to its fullest advantage, cutting down on numerous mistakes. That includes bad turnovers and too many passes, leaving opponents to pounce on Vegas's mistakes. If the Golden Knights don't correct these mistakes and simplify matters, they could fall as low as missing the Stanley Cup playoffs. That would be a Jekyll-and-Hyde scene that nobody in Las Vegas wants to see.