I'm positive you've heard all of the jokes before. A particular special teams unit for the Vegas Golden Knights has been extremely underwhelming throughout its franchise history. In fact, the best group was in 2019-20, when they scored on 22% of their power plays.
That's right, dear reader. The Golden Knights saw their power play emerge as a full-fledged force this season. That included Tomas Hertl (14 goals) and Pavel Dorofeyev (13 goals) bringing much-needed meat that would make the Arby's announcer blush.
Scoring on 28.3% of their power plays (second-most in the NHL) was impressive enough to raise plenty of eyebrows. It also got the fanbase talking about the group.
"What has gotten into these guys?"
"Are they from a different planet?"
Suddenly, the Golden Knights had a formula for staying as a legitimate threat, but this time, it came from the most unexpected of sources. Now? You have a successful unit capable of doing damage.
That success must be sustained throughout next season if the Golden Knights want to compete next season. Of course, that goes without saying. But they can't duplicate an absent performance in the last three playoff games. How, you ask?
How the Vegas Golden Knights can sustain their power play for next season
The last three playoff games saw the Golden Knights go 0-for-7 against the Edmonton Oilers. What's more, that power play didn't show up at the most convenient time. Neither Tomas Hertl nor Pavel Dorofeyev got power play goals against the Oilers.
Having these two players involved come playoff time will help immensely. But that confidence boost would be greatly appreciated to start the season, too. Obviously, that starts with settling Hertl in the slot. But it involves getting Dorofeyev settled as well.
During the playoffs, Dorofeyev tried his best and fired shots at will. How many, you ask? Why, he had 27 shots, which was good for... One single goal. That also accounts for a shooting percentage of 3.7.
Perhaps Dorofeyev can go for deflections. Or maybe he needs Hertl up front to obstruct the goaltender's vision. Believe it or not, when both players are in their respective comfort zones, the power play functions much better. If Hertl's in the slot wreaking havoc, the 24-year-old can fire shots without hesitation.
Power play momentum is vital for the Golden Knights next season
The power play constituted 28.5% of Vegas's goals during the playoffs, marking an important part of the game. Considering how difficult it was for the Golden Knights to score during even strength, it'll be even more vital if that momentum carries over next season.
Luckily, having a superstar like Jack Eichel leading the unit helps. He only got four assists on the unit during the postseason run. However, being a power play quarterback was part of his record-breaking season, where he got five goals and 29 assists on the unit.
Still, fans have clamored for Eichel to shoot more to the point of texting his personal number. Do the fans have a valid point? Who knows? But he can reach his career high in goals (36 in 2019-20) and power play goals (11 in 2019-20 and 2023-24). Just sayin'.
Overall, 2024-25 was a pleasant surprise for a historically weak unit. It saw the Golden Knights finally figure things out with key pieces settled in their proper places. It's about time that NV Energy power play was "powerful" and "electrifying."