Alex Pietrangelo had an incredible game for the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday. He scored a power play goal and added an assist on a Jack Eichel goal against the Utah Hockey Club. All this came in the second period, which helped the Golden Knights defeat the NHL's newest team. It was an inspiring performance that calmed the whispers of the defenseman slowly being withered away by Father Time. Surely, this will be another season where this happens, right?
Luckily, Pietrangelo sent Arnold to deliver the message.
The tenured superstar might've had a down year in 2023-24, scoring four goals and 29 assists. That's a far cry from 11 goals and 43 assists the season prior. The three-time All-Star also saw a drop in his defensive stats from 2022-23, indicating his production was tailing off.
Season | Number of hits | Number of blocked shots | Number of takeaways |
|---|---|---|---|
2022-23 | 65 | 177 | 56 |
2023-24 | 46 | 160 | 50 |
However, let me play devil's advocate as to why that won't be the case. There's an exciting new opportunity for the defenseman this upcoming season, as he's projected to get a fellow offensive-minded blue-liner alongside him. It could reawaken his potential and make him more valuable to the Golden Knights than ever.
How will Pietrangelo benefit from having this change happen? What's the other factor that could help him discover a renaissance in his game? The two-time Stanley Cup winner will be crucial to the team's success in 2024-25, given there are missing faces from the year prior. Don't sleep on the blue-liner for the upcoming year, especially for these two reasons.
The duo of Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo
Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo are currently projected to constitute the top defensive pairing for the Vegas Golden Knights. Last night, they were shaky together, leading to the Utah Hockey Club scoring a goal.
There's an example of one of my concerns with the Theodore/Pietrangelo pair. Both guys are super confident in their skating ability and will want to kill plays behind the net. Both caught under the goal line and Rondbjerg is left on the post to defend both the pass and the shot.…
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) September 28, 2024
The two will need more time together to figure out who will kill plays behind the net while the other defends the oncoming attack. That much is given. Luckily, the preseason is a good opportunity for the two veterans to figure out their roles. If they play together, it offers the Vegas Golden Knights the chance to enhance their team offensively. How, you might ask?
For one, they're projected to anchor the second power play unit, which would feature names like Alexander Holtz and William Karlsson. That could provide ample scoring chances for the duo to deliver, with both veterans having the necessary experience to run the power play and even strength attack. These could come from the point or down the middle.
Whatever the case, the Golden Knights could see an uptick with Pietrangelo having a solid veteran opposite of him on the first pair. Two puck-moving blue-liners on the same pair could work dividends for his campaign, with smoother passes and set-ups coming. That's what Bruce Cassidy hopes will happen, especially if they want to win another Stanley Cup.