This past week saw a seismic shift in the Vegas Golden Knights' landscape. We're talking about the team getting rid of a hot-headed head coach and replacing him with another hot-headed head coach. It certainly confounded fans to the point of confusion within the fanbase.
I mean, Vegas is 2-0-0 since the new guy came in.
Still, the Golden Knights made a big move that will forever shape the team's future. You threw out your Stanley Cup-winning head coach in favor of another Stanley Cup-winning head coach. The objective? Shake up the locker room and get everyone hyped up.
Will it work? Who knows. But one thing's certain. This isn't the first big move that the Golden Knights have made. Fans can't forget what happened to Gerard Gallant, nor can they forget about what happened to Marc-Andre Fleury. Vegas is known for shaking things up dramatically when things aren't going right.
So, let's look at the week that was for the Golden Knights. Here's who received the pink slip and who's coming in to clean up the mess. Heck, let's throw in a goalie and talk about him returning from injury for a bit.
Bruce Cassidy was relieved of his duties on Sunday
Already, the Vegas Golden Knights let go of their Stanley Cup-winning head coach in Bruce Cassidy. The move happened on Sunday after the Golden Knights were destined to suffer their first season with more losses than wins.
It was a shocking move, especially after the predecessor that came in was a tad more controversial. Granted, he has a Stanley Cup to his name (albeit, from 2004). However, he does have a 2-0-0 start to his hame in his current tenure.
The Vegas Golden Knights hire John Tortorella as their new head coach
Coming in for Cassidy is none other than John Tortorella. The long-tenured head coach had a career record of 770-648-37-165, heading into his Golden Knights tenure. Already, the Golden Knights is looking better for bringing him on.
On the surface, the resume looks nice. The aforementioned Stanley Cup goes well with two Jack Adams awards, you know. But some fans are concerned that Tortorella's fiery temper could rub the players the wrong way even worse than Cassidy ever did. Will it work out in the end? Stay tuned.
Carter Hart returns to the fold for the Golden Knights
On a lighter note, Carter Hart made his return to the Golden Knights' crease on Thursday. He stopped 19 of 22 shots, which isn't the most appetizing stat line. However, it got the Golden Knights the win and Hart settled down after the second period.
Also, Golden Knights fans can't forget that this was his first game back since he suffered a lower-body injury on January 8 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He wasn't expected to light the world on fire, even if he was playing against a team out of the playoff race. Watch for him down the stretch if he gets more starts for the Golden Knights.