Golden Knights see how much they miss Jack Eichel after a rough Saturday loss to Calgary

Remember when I talked about Jack Eichel's significance on the Vegas Golden Knights roster? I mentioned how he was crucial to the whole Golden Knights apparatus, providing ample scoring and excellent zone entries. Well, Saturday's game against the Calgary Flames was a time when his services were desperately needed.

The funny thing was that the scoring itself wasn't a problem. Vegas got goals from unexpected sources, including a sniping Kaedan Korczak and Reilly Smith on the breakaway. Still, the Golden Knights needed their superstar in more ways than one.

One perfect example is Joel Farabee's shorthanded goal. How in the world do you evoke memories of the old Vegas power plays like this?

And guess what happened on that play? It was an offensive zone turnover by Mitch Marner that led to the rush. There was also a 2-on-0 breakaway earlier in the game that devastated Vegas, swinging all the momentum to Calgary.

Overall, Saturday's game was part of a disastrous week for Golden Knights fans. Some Golden Knights fans dealt with terrible breakups with former lovers. Some even dealt with their jobs riding their sacks all week long. But Saturday's game was arguably the roughest watch, especially without Shea Theodore to boot.

Saturday's embarassing loss to the Calgary Flames showed why the Vegas Golden Knights need Jack Eichel more than ever

Look, it wasn't going to be easy without Eichel and Theodore around. That's especially true when you don't have William Karlsson to boot. However, Saturday's humiliating loss was beyond that. It was the Golden Knights beating themselves.

For perspective, the Golden Knights outshot Calgary, 37-26. However, they couldn't get out of their own way, starting with the giveaways. Vegas had 15 giveaways in Saturday's contest, leading to juicy opportunities for the Flames.

Of course, that shorthanded goal doesn't happen with Eichel around, either. I know that Marner's a talented player and is thriving with the Golden Knights. But Eichel doesn't try to do too much in that situation, taking his time instead of rushing the play.

That's the type of leadership and calculated play that the Golden Knights needed on Saturday. They needed someone who could slow down the pace and provide a special teams boost. Not only that, but they needed someone who could lead the way in all 200 feet of the ice.

What's more, the Edmonton Oilers loom large on Sunday. Sure, they have abysmal goaltending that could play in Vegas's favor. But Golden Knights fans remember how that turned out in May. If that trend continues on Sunday, it'll feel like deja vu.