Three Takeaways From Game 2 for the Golden Knights
3. The Vegas Golden Knights Look Smart for Bringing Bruce Cassidy In
On June 14, 2022, the Vegas Golden Knights hired Bruce Cassidy from the Boston Bruins. Fresh off letting Pete DeBoer go after missing the playoffs in 2021-22, it was clear the team needed a new direction. The Golden Knights had all this talent on their team, yet many players weren't reaching their full potential.
Yet, Cassidy changed everything, putting in a more disciplined forecheck and a goaltender-friendly system that took shooting lanes away. It's a tried-and-true formula that won Vegas their first Stanley Cup last season, adding more bite to the team defensively.
Compare that to Pete DeBoer's shoot and pray method, which allows his team to push the puck up the ice. Considering how deep the Dallas Stars are at forward, the strategy should make sense. However, the Vegas Golden Knights proved that theory wrong, constricting the Stars out of their own offensive zone.
The Golden Knights did not allow a single shot on goal in the last 5:38 of the game.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) April 25, 2024
Holding a 1 goal lead... on the road... in the playoffs... against a team that averages 3.59 goals per game... having already taken away home ice advantage in Game 1.
Cassidy's system wins.
Not allowing a single shot in the last 5:38 against one of the NHL's best offenses is a testament to Cassidy's system. Here, the players are more disciplined, fighting for more pucks and keeping their opponents frustrated in the slot and middle. If the Vegas Golden Knights are to repeat as the Stanley Cup champions, it starts with keeping their opponents in check. They're certainly doing that against the Stars this series.
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