Sometimes, you need a good kick in the rear to get your season going. It could come from a sudden change, whether that's losing a player to an injury or a motivational speech. The Vegas Golden Knights could use a dominating game against the Calgary Flames for that remedy.
You see, the first three games have been... peculiar. The Golden Knights have earned points in all three games to start, earning four points along the way. However, they're 1-0-2, falling in overtime and in a shootout to their divisional rivals. It's raised some valid concerns about whether Vegas is ready to compete for the Stanley Cup this season.
Tuesday's game offers a chance for relief. You see, the Flames are 1-2-0 to start their season. Sure, they beat their provincial rivals, the Edmonton Oilers, in a shootout to open the season. But their last two games saw Calgary get outscored, 9-3.
Yikes.
While that's problematic for the other Alberta franchise, that could be the chance Vegas has looked for to start the season. They've searched for that one complete game to get them out of the weird funk. While they haven't capitalized on earlier opportunities, Tuesday's game could be vastly different.
What could Golden Knights fans expect against the Calgary Flames?
The Flames are in the midst of a major retooling, trying to break through with more young stars. That includes Matt Coronato, who scored 24 goals and 23 assists last season. He had a similar breakout season to Pavel Dorofeyev, who emerged as a top scoring option for the Golden Knights.
Of course, there are also the usual suspects, including Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau. The two veterans combined for 63 goals last season, bolstering an average Flames attack. They could be problematic for the Golden Knights on Tuesday, specifcally with the stay-at-home defense being underwhelming.
Finally, who will step up for the Golden Knights on Tuesday? Players like Mitch Marner (two assists), Tomas Hertl (one assist), and Shea Theodore (one assist) have been relatively quiet to start the season. Having players other than Eichel, Stone, and Dorofeyev score will go a long way in making that complete game happen. Tuesday's game could be perfect for Vegas with the Flames allowing nine goals in the last two games.
Tuesday's game against the Flames could be the perfect tune-up for the Golden Knights
After Tuesday's game against Calgary, the Golden Knights will run into a tough slate of games. First, they'll face the Boston Bruins at T-Mobile Arena, who are 3-1-0 to start the season. With big names like David Pastrnak and Jeremy Swayman keeping the Bruins afloat, Vegas could run into some problems once they return to Las Vegas.
After Saturday's game against the Flames (also at T-Mobile Arena) comes a brutal five-game stretch for Vegas. They'll face the Carolina Hurricanes (twice), the defending Stanley Cup champions in the Florida Panthers, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Colorado Avalanche.
If the Golden Knights don't have that dominant game against Calgary, that could leave them unprepared for that upcoming stretch. Suddenly, fans will have serious questions about where the team is heading for the 2025-26 season. They'll wonder whether the group will win the Stanley Cup this season or even make it to the Western Conference Final.
Nobody wants that to happen, especially in Las Vegas. They want to see prominent names like Marner and Hertl dominate. Las Vegas's media might not be as crazy as their northern brethren. However, fans will know when something's truly amiss in Sin City. What better way to ease those concerns than by throttling the Flames?