Why the Vegas Golden Knights Shouldn't Panic... Yet
Winners of three of their last ten, the Vegas Golden Knights are searching for anything. A spark, a returning player, something! But should Golden Knight fans be worried about the team's current slump?
1. Key Players Are Returning
Logan Thompson has received a ton of flak from fans recently. A major part of the "sky is falling" cries are based on his poor month of December (3.14 GAA, .887 SV%). Thompson himself admitted the month took a toll on him mentally, calling it, "the toughest month of his career".
However, reinforcements are on the horizon in the form of Adin Hill. The Stanley Cup hero has returned to skating, indicating he's one step closer to getting back on the ice. Granted, the Vegas Golden Knights shouldn't rush him back to the ice. However, having your star goaltender coming back soon is a promising sign. Plus, it takes the pressure off of Thompson. Players like Keegan Kolesar should also be returning to action, making life easier for Vegas.
Injuries have been a big problem for the Knights in recent years, taking names like Shea Theodore and William Karlsson out of commission. However, reinforcements are coming, which will help the Golden Knights.
2. The Vegas Golden Knights Have Been Through This Before
Last season, the Vegas Golden Knights got off to a hot start, setting the league on fire with a 13-2 start. However, they lagged around the beginning of January of that season. From January 7th to January 28th, Vegas went 2-6-2.
But when the Knights got out of the All-Star Break, they went and kicked butt. It started with a 5-1 thrashing of the Nashville Predators, kickstarting a five-game winning streak and an eight-game points streak. That was part of a 22-4-5 run to the end of the season. The result? The Stanley Cup coming to Sin City.
While it feels like the end of the world for Golden Knights fans now, they went through a similar trial last season. If you were expecting Vegas to go on a torrid run similar to Boston last season, I've got some news for you: the Bruins didn't even make it out of the first round in the playoffs.
3. Vegas's Pacific Division Opponents Are Beatable
Last season, everyone thought the Edmonton Oilers were destined for the Stanley Cup. Why, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the sky's the limit, right? Wrong, which was proven by the Vegas Golden Knights.
By dominating on even strength and exploiting Edmonton's top-heavy build, the Knights sent the Oilers packing, en route to their first Stanley Cup. Vegas brings the same team back, sans Reilly Smith, which means they should have an advantage going into that matchup.
Vegas also took care of arguably their biggest threat, the Los Angeles Kings, this season. They took the season series, 2-1, giving themselves a leg up in the standings. The Kraken and Vancouver Canucks are also younger teams, so they won't have the playoff experience that the Golden Knights possess.
When it comes to the Pacific Division, the Knights still look like the gold standard. While the Kings and Oilers will make matters interesting come the home stretch of the season, the Golden Knights can still beat them.
Last season, Vegas started their turnaround on February 7, 2023 against Nashville. After this year's All-Star Break, the Knights will play at home against the Oilers on February 6, 2024. If there's still a slump going on a week after, then it might be time to embrace our inner "Chicken Little" and say the sky is falling.
(Stats provided by hockey-reference.com)