Ah, the New Year's Resolution. The thing that many of us tend to ditch in favor of pleasurable habits. That includes Vegas Golden Knights fans, who know a thing or two about these drastic life changes. Of course, Golden Knights fans would never commit to a dramatic change, such as rooting for the Edmonton Oilers.
Instead, they would commit to losing weight and taking care of themselves. They would also love to learn another language so they can visit a new country. Whatever the case, anything not related to drugs or harming others is better than converting to an Oilers fan (science can prove this!).
But let's stay on the topic of resolutions for a second. There is one bad habit that the Golden Knights must desperately change this season. When you've been plagued by a disastrous stretch for years, you want something to change. Maybe it's time for the team to treat this particular habit like a cheeseburger and pass it on to somebody else.
What am I talking about? Well, I'm going to give you a hint. It's a month that has plagued the Golden Knights like a bad Fremont Street performer with a guitar. What's worse is that the month is rapidly approaching, leaving an injury-riddled team in the crosshairs.
The Vegas Golden Knights must have a stronger January than in years past
We've talked about how the dreaded month of January has been the proverbial pigeon that poops on the Golden Knights' Maserati. Vegas has a lifetime record of 43-34-13 during this evil month, leaving fans already breaking their resolutions by heading for the bottle.
In fact, a month-by-month look shows how terrible January has been for the Golden Knights. There have been few instances of the month treating Vegas right.
Golden Knights Season | Record In January |
|---|---|
2018 | 7-3-2 |
2019 | 6-4-0 |
2020 | 4-5-1 |
2021 | 5-1-1 |
2022 | 4-4-3 |
2023 | 4-6-2 |
2024 | 7-5-1 |
2025 | 6-6-3 |
Here's the thing about this. It's hard to put a gauge on whether the month truly matters to winning the Stanley Cup. 2023 is a perfect example, where Vegas fell flat in January, only to win it all months later. In fact, the season prior was better than 2023, yet they missed the postseason that year.
What better way to break the ol' habit of losing in January than doing it this season?
Believe it or not, this season's January slate isn't as daunting as years prior. This year's iteration only features four teams currently in playoff position entering Saturday. Of course, things can change in time. However, the Golden Knights have favorable matchups against teams such as the St. Louis Blues, the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Seattle Kraken, and the Chicago Blackhawks.
What's more, players such as Adin Hill and William Karlsson could be back in the later part of the month. With Vegas's injury problems rearing their ugly head ahead, that's a promising sign. That's especially true with the lighter months of March and April looming ahead.
If Vegas can weather the January storm without much of an issue, that bodes well for their Stanley Cup chances. Who knows? That could become a brand new habit that the team forms, leading to more success down the road. Imagine how all the haters would feel about that.