Bruce Cassidy is no stranger to getting the Vegas Golden Knights off to excellent starts. He got them off to a solid 13-2-0 start in their Stanley Cup-clinching season, where they ran with the Boston Bruins in the first 15 games. A year later, Cassidy had Vegas off to an 11-0-1 start, which was one of the best starts for a defending Stanley Cup champion ever.
The secret? It ranges from different factors, including an extra chip on the shoulder. Mind you, nobody thought about the Golden Knights as Stanley Cup contenders before the 2022-23 season started. Even with big names like Jack Eichel, the team was an afterthought with uncertain goaltending. What happened after that, Las Vegas?
There's also the team resting up from a long offseason, ready to tackle the NHL world again. Resting the body helps you prepare for the biggest challenges in life, whether it's starting a new job or sports season. That's true with the Golden Knights, who've recovered from being eliminated by the Dallas Stars in May.
It's something the Golden Knights fanbase has grown accustomed to. This time, the 2024-25 start came at T-Mobile Arena, where Vegas is 8-0-0. Home cooking is always great, especially when you're averaging 5.38 goals per game in Las Vegas. But there's more to Cassidy's early success than being good in Sin City. What else has the head coach done right for the Golden Knights?
Bruce Cassidy has unleashed the Vegas Golden Knights power play
"Power play" and "Vegas Golden Knights" have never done well together. That much is true. However, the narrative has changed around the unit, with the Golden Knights ranking in the top five (fourth in the NHL with a percentage of 32.3%).
Fans know the story behind the surging group, with Mark Stone (tied for third in power play assists with six) leading the way. Of course, he's not the only big body running the power play. Tomas Hertl has also contributed to the cause, scoring three goals and three assists on the man advantage.
Overall, it's been a newfound strategy of crashing the net. Having more big bodies in front of the net has overwhelmed the competition, with goals coming in. That's especially true at home, where the Golden Knights build off the momentum of a simple power play goal.
That's part of how they started 8-0-0 at home, with the team tapping into the star power to score. It's part of why Stone is tied for fourth in overall points (20) in the NHL. It's part of why Jack Eichel is finally coming out of his shell and showing himself as an elite player. All that can be attributed to Bruce Cassidy pushing the right buttons on the power play.
The top line with Jack Eichel front and center
Speaking of Eichel and Stone, the duo have anchored the top line. But it hasn't been them playing well; it's also Ivan Barbashev (seven goals, five assists). Together, the trio is combining for 48 points (15 goals, 33 assists) in the first 12 games. It's made them one of the best first lines in the NHL, shocking the hockey world. But it almost didn't happen to start the season.
The offseason saw numerous projections picking Victor Olofsson on Eichel's right wing. The Swedish forward was familiar with the center's game in Buffalo, making him a solid pick. However, he suffered a lower-body injury that had him out of commission.
Instead, it's Mark Stone feeding off Eichel's energy and creating countless plays with him and Barbashev. Cassidy could've gone with the cheaper option on the top line, getting some goal-scoring production from Olofsson. But why go with a more frugal version of Marchessault when you can stick with the Captain and continue the first-line magic?