In case you didn't hear the harrowing news, the Vegas Golden Knights lost Victor Olofsson on a week-to-week basis. The injury came from a brutal cross-check by Seattle Kraken forward Ben Meyers in Tuesday's 6-2 victory. The game also saw an absolute bloodbath regarding fights and dirty hits, with the latter coming from the Kraken.
It's unfortunate because Olofsson was providing the exact value needed for the Golden Knights to succeed. He scored four goals (team-best), with two coming on the power play. That invoked memories of an incredible 2024-25 campaign, when he scored 15 goals (six coming on the power play) in his first Vegas residency.
That leaves a massive hole in the scoring department for Vegas. Now, you don't have a reliable shooter that you can lean on to do damage from afar. Not only that, but your power play looks softer without him. He stepped into the role that Pavel Dorofeyev played and did it well with less money.
Now, what's a team to do when a team like the Golden Knights lose such an undervalued player? Do they wither into a corner and cry themselves to sleep? No, because that's not what the Golden Knights do. They must figure out how to rebound and adjust on the man advantage. Otherwise, it'll be a bunch of passes and frustrated fans in the stands. Let's devise the usual plan and see what Vegas must do with Olofsson absent for a while.
Trevor Connelly must shine in Victor Olofsson's place
Trevor Connelly got bumped up to the top power play unit when Olofsson was injured. He's going to get decent exposure with veterans like Tomas Hertl and Mark Stone, gaining valuable experience along the way. But the Golden Knights rookie must use his strongest assets to help the power play thrive.
That means he must be aggressive in the shot-taking department and take his chances. Connelly entered Thursday's game with six shots on goal, which was an impressive mark for the rookie. Stick to being the aggressor and magical things will happen on the power play.
Rely on Hertl's big keester in the bumper
Once upon a time, Tomas Hertl held the single-season record for the most power play goals in Golden Knights history. He scored 14 in 2024-25, cementing himself as the go-to source for everything related to power play goals.
What better way to continue this marvelous story than to rely on Hertl's big rear to create trouble in the slot? The Czech Olympian plays the role of Tomas Holmstrom perfectly, preventing the opposing goaltender from generating any good looks.
Get Jack Eichel involved
Last season, Eichel only scored one power play goal. Yes, you read that right. Only one power play goal for a player who's in the Top 10 for the NHL's best players right now.
That must change for Eichel, meaning that he needs to be aggressive himself. Attack more and don't hesitate to take the open shot. I know that people rag on the Olympic gold medalist for not shooting enough, despite leading the team in shots on goal last season (260). But this applies here, especially without your best shooter (arguably).
Add us as a preferred source on Google