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How Can Vegas Address Its Third Period Woes?

The past three games, the Vegas Golden Knights have gotten off to a hot start, only to cool down. How can the Knights stay the course?

By Jacob Walters

Minnesota Wild v Vegas Golden Knights
Minnesota Wild v Vegas Golden Knights / Ethan Miller/GettyImages
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2. Getting Key Pieces Back

Shea Theodore
Montreal Canadiens v Vegas Golden Knights / Ethan Miller/GettyImages

The good news for the Knights is Shea Theodore is coming back soon. The defenseman brings some offensive utility to the mix, boosting Vegas's special teams. That's vital for a team that's historically been average at best on this front.

Case in point? The short-handed goal scored by Seth Jarvis of Carolina on Saturday. It was the go-ahead goal that won it for the Hurricanes, with poor puck handling being the main culprit. Plays like this have doomed the Golden Knights in many ways, with Saturday's blunder being another example. By the way, that goal happened... in the third period.

While the power play hasn't been a strong point historically, it bears repeating that getting key players back will help the unit. That's especially true with Karlsson returning to the lineup this month, with Theodore not far behind. Plus, you have a big piece of the puzzle that should make his return later in the season...

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