Everyone knows that Braeden Bowman is extremely talented. The Vegas Golden Knights winger scored eight goals and 18 assists last season, marking an upstart campaign for the then-undrafted rookie. It's no wonder that he got a well-deserved contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights.
But his talents were apparent in Thursday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was one of two Golden Knights to score in the shootout in the team's 4-3 win (the other being Trevor Connelly), showing fans what he can do against a good goaltender like Sergei Bobrovsky. Just look at how he scored his goal in the shootout. (go to 8:06).
He fools Bobrovsky heading into the slot before sneaking a goal past the Russian goaltender for the 1-0 shootout lead. He also had a similar moment in the preseason game against the San Jose Sharks, where he pulled off a parallel move.
Suddenly, the conversation has shifted to the young forward being utilized in the shootout more. Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner don't have too much luck in the stipulation (at least, when compared to Shea Theodore) and Pavel Dorofeyev is gone. So why not go with the undrafted wunderkind to make the magic happen?
In fact, you could put in Bowman and Connelly in the shootout and make magic happen in these situations. Sure, the magic will eventually wear off. But you can't deny that the young superstar is thriving in his given role.
Why Braeden Bowman thrives in the shootout with the Vegas Golden Knights
First, you can't discount the familiarity that Bowman has with Golden Knights head coach Ryan Craig. The two worked together during the Henderson Silver Knights days and understand each other's strengths and weaknesses. It should be apparent that Craig trusts him in this spot as much as, say, Eichel or Marner.
But it goes beyond that. Bowman is extremely adept at redirecting and fooling opposing goaltenders. That was obvious in his shootout goal against Bobrovsky, where he looked like he was going to go to the goaltender's stick side. The result? He goes glove side and sneaks in a beauty for a crucial shootout goal.
But let's look at the San Jose goal for a second. He does something similar, where he draws out Yaroslav Askarov and forces him to make a move. He ends up going five-hole for the shootout goal, which led to a Golden Knights preseason win.
The one thing that makes Bowman special in these circumstances is that he has all the control when he moves second. When the goaltender bites and commits to a move, that gives the forward power to do whatever he pleases. In turn, that generally leads to shootout goals and better outcomes for the Golden Knights.
This could also lead to a more reliable role in Ryan Craig's shootout plans. The head coach appreciates Bowman's hockey intelligence and knows he's capable of drawing goaltenders out of their comfort zone. Expect the youngster to become a steady force in the shootout for the forseeable future.
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