How the Vegas Golden Knights should tackle the Calgary Flames this season

Remember the 2021-22 season when the Calgary Flames were an absolute unit? They had two players with 100+ points in Johnny Gaudreau (40 goals, 115 points) and Matthew Tkachuk (42 goals, 104 points). They were also a healthy team, with 11 skaters playing 80 or more games. In fact, that health was a part of how they made it to the second round that season.

It's contrary to what the Vegas Golden Knights endured, where they missed the playoffs due to a wave of injuries. Losing players to injuries like Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty made life difficult for the franchise, for they were searching for offensive answers. As a result, there were no Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Fast forward to August 23, 2024, when the Vegas Golden Knights won a Stanley Cup the year before. They also bolstered their lineup, adding names like Tomas Hertl and a former Flame, Noah Hanifin. Meanwhile, Calgary has seen Gaudreau and Tkachuk depart, leaving the team as the forgotten brother in Alberta.

While that's bad news for the Edmonton Oilers's little sibling, that presents an opportunity for the Golden Knights to gain points. Who doesn't love grabbing these precious things, especially in a vulnerable division (at least on paper)? Rebuilding teams provide playoff contenders like Vegas chances to build themselves up in the standings.

With that, here's how the Golden Knights should attack the Flames for the upcoming season. What should Vegas do get the most points in their upcoming matchups? What will be different for the other Alberta team? Here's what's in store for Vegas as they look to defeat another Pacific Division team in 2024-25.

So the Calgary Flames are rebuilding (and Noah Hanifin is in Las Vegas)...

The breakdown of the Calgary Flames started before the Vegas Golden Knights acquired Noah Hanifin. It was also letting Johnny Gaudreau go to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he's gotten little support. It was trading Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for Johnny Huberdeau and Mackenzie Weegar. That head-scratching move led to the Panthers winning last season's Stanley Cup.

This goes back to the Flames refusing to sign big-name players to long-term contracts. Tkachuk was a restricted free agent quickly rising in the NHL ranks. Now, he's with Florida until 2030, hoping to bring more Stanley Cups to South Beach. With players like Jacob Markstrom being moved to teams like the Devils, fans have less reason to cheer.

So how do the Golden Knights attack? That's simple. Don't play down to your competition and stick to being the better team in transition. Last season, the Flames gave 577 pucks away to their opponents, ranking ninth-highest in the NHL. That leaves a "golden" opportunity for forecheck-savvy teams like Vegas to pounce. Having offensively focused players like Noah Hanifin will also help the cause.

Given that Vegas has plenty of solid two-way forwards, they can exploit their opponent's miscues and create scoring chances. Granted, Calgary won't be as willing to give the puck away in the defensive zone (53.73% last season, 19th-most in the NHL). However, creating turnovers will generate more shots for the Golden Knights... which could net some goals.

Should the Vegas Golden Knights sweat the Flames?

Ironically enough, the Calgary Flames had the upper hand in last season's series. They went 3-0-1 against the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023-24, acting as a pesky thorn in their side. However, times have changed from the start of the 2023-24 season, where they still had respectable pieces.

Names like Noah Hanifin and Jacob Markstrom have gone elsewhere, signaling a rebuild is here. That's good news for teams like the Golden Knights, who need all the points they can get. With the Vancouver Canucks perched atop the Pacific Division and the Edmonton Oilers as the reigning Western Conference champions, feasting on matchups with the Flames should help.

But there's no such thing as certainty in today's world. Nobody expected the Montreal Canadiens to make the Stanley Cup Final during the 2020-21 season. Yet, they did it behind a hot goaltender in Carey Price and a solid young core led by Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Therefore, the Golden Knights should approach their incoming matchups with a side of caution. That way, they're not caught off-guard by a trap game.