In Thursday's contest, Reilly Smith did something that he's waited to do for a month: score a goal. In fact, it's been a collective sob story for the Vegas Golden Knights' secondary scoring this season. Players like Brandon Saad (three assists) and Colton Sissons (one assist) have struggled right out the gate, leaving fans wondering if the team's finished.
However, the Original Misfit wasn't alone in the secondary scoring party. Saad added an assist, along with Keegan Kolesar, and Shea Theodore added his first goal of the season in an insane sequence.
SHEA THEODORE DANCES AROUND EVERYONE 😱 pic.twitter.com/vELPMAXyRN
— NHL (@NHL) November 14, 2025
You can say that the defenseman has moves like Jagger, or something to that effect. Regardless, the Golden Knights nearly snapped a three-game losing streak on Thursday. If only they had better goaltending to keep them afloat...
But let's turn our attention to the secondary scoring for a second. Seeing players like Theodore, Smith, and Saad get on the scoresheet was refreshing. After struggling to do anything of substance in the earlier part of 2025-26, the Golden Knights finally got production from players other than Mitch Marner, Jack Eichel, and Pavel Dorofeyev.
Here's a bigger question for you, dear reader. Can this unit build momentum heading into Saturday's game against a weakened St. Louis Blues team? The good news? Vegas is facing off against weakened teams on a two-game road trip on Saturday. The bad news? Parity's the name of the game as the NHL is literally wide open.
How the Vegas Golden Knights' secondary scoring can build momentum against the St. Louis Blues, starting with Shea Theodore
Let's look at Shea Theodore's goal on Thursday against the New York Islanders. First, what incredible handles from the defenseman. He outmaneuvered every Islander to sneak a goal past a pesky Ilya Sorokin. That takes guts and determination.
In fact, that's what other secondary scorers did in Thursday's game. Reilly Smith had a nice shorthanded opportunity that didn't go through. Yet, he was determined to get on the scoresheet by any means necessary. That's the mentality that the Golden Knights must carry against the Blues.
The good news? St. Louis is one of the worst goaltending teams in the league this season. They rank 31st in goals allowed per game entering Friday's slate of games with 3.77, making them one of the hardest units to watch. If you want to look further, the Minnesota Wild rank 22nd with 3.28 goals allowed per game.
It's been an absolute disaster for both Central Division teams, especially after making the Stanley Cup playoffs last season. That's especially true for the Blues, who enter Friday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers with three wins in their past 10 games. That should provide an ample opportunity for Theodore, Smith, and company to build off of Thursday's game.
In fact, the Original Misfit has 17 total points in his career against the Blues (two goals and 15 assists). That sets the table for the defenseman to have another big game. Who knows? Maybe that could result in a road trip sweep for the Golden Knights.