Well, at least they got a point? That technically makes it an improvement for this plummeting Golden Knights squad, who fell 4-3 to the Edmonton Oilers in overtime on Thursday.
While the offense sort of woke back up, with Mark Stone in particular remembering how to score, it still wasn't enough to secure a much-needed two points. It felt at many times like a throwback to the first-half Golden Knights, with familiar trends, familiar problems, and a third consecutive loss to a familiar foe. Let's dive into what went wrong.
Despite what I said last game, goaltending rears its ugly head again
Remember when I said on Tuesday that goaltending wasn't the biggest problem with this squad? Well, we got a swift kick back to reality on Thursday.
Moneypuck showed how ineffective Hill was on Thursday, standing at -2.31 GSAx against Edmonton. Granted, the Oilers still run a high-octane offense, even without Leon Draisaitl. However, Hill wasn't serviceable on a night where the offense finally woke up (more on that in a bit).
If this what the Golden Knights are going to get from Hill for the upcoming years, life will become much harder for them. The Calgary native must do better in net and make key saves against potential playoff opponents. Otherwise, it's going to be a long four or five years with the netminder around.
The offense finally awakens, mostly
While this was the first OTL since January (remember those?) and the first loss with three or more goals in a while, the Golden Knights finally got some scoring from key guys. That included Mark Stone getting two goals, Ivan Barbashev playing on a heater, and even Jack Eichel getting a point (FINALLY!).
Vegas found enough offense to get them a point for the playoff run, specifically from the top line. Fans have waited for months for the top guys to finally roll and bury some pucks past the opposition. Well, the top guys did exactly that, putting three goals together for a point.
While the other parts of the offense needed to wake up (i.e., the lower lines), seeing the top unit finally break out is a promising sign. Stone finally gets the breakout game he's been searching for since the Olympic break and Eichel gets off the snide. Perhaps the team can put together a complete performance just before the playoffs, going on a deep run in the process.