This past summer saw a mass exodus of forwards from the Vegas Golden Knights. They lost key members such as Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson, and William Carrier. People were worried Jack Eichel (43 assists, 54 points) and the Golden Knights would fall out of playoff contention. In fact, some were fantasizing about the thought so much that they had intrusive thoughts.
But 61 points and a division lead as of January 16 tell a different story. It shows that Bruce Cassidy and company didn't need Carrier or Marchessault, relying on their team's "next man up" mentality to win hockey games. It's served them nicely as the team's power play (25.7%) has been unleashed upon the NHL.
However, a particular element has hindered the Golden Knights this season: The "revenge game." It's when former Golden Knights a season prior get back against their former employers and defeat the Golden Knights. How has Vegas done against Logan Thompson, Michael Amadio, Stephenson, Marchessault, and Carrier? Well, they have a record of 3-4-1 this season.
Vegas hopes to shake off the curse of the "revenge game" against the Carolina Hurricanes (Carrier will get his revenge in spirit), hence the "Duke-UNC Edition." College basketball is huge in North Carolina where the two schools have a rivalry that, well, rivals that of Ohio State and Michigan. The Tar Heels against the Cameron Crazies always makes for excellent television, giving ESPN executives a funny feeling inside like they saw Patrick Mahomes. Think of the Golden Knights and their old players as having a similar rivalry, only they don't hate each other as much.
Breaking down the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes
Friday's game between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes will be a battle of who takes care of the puck better. The Golden Knights have the fifth-most giveaways per game (16.07) while the Hurricanes have the eighth-most (15.73). Turnovers have plagued Vegas in the past four games, leaving them unable to get off on the right foot.
On that note, getting the first goal is a must, particularly with Jack Eichel leading the charge. The Golden Knights have found key scoring from the top unit this season and the four-time All-Star has led the charge. In turn, Mark Stone (39 points) and Ivan Barbashev (15 goals, 30 points) have reaped the most benefits.
But Barbashev himself must get going. He hasn't registered any points since returning from an upper-body injury, which has contributed to the sluggish offensive attack. Perhaps a shake-up will do the trick, where the red-hot Pavel Dorofeyev (five goals and one assist in his last two games) will help? Whatever the case, Bruce Cassidy must figure out how the Golden Knights are scoring on even-strength. Otherwise, it'll be a long night in Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday.
Normally, I'm wrong with these predictions because anything can happen in sports. It doesn't matter if a team uses Vegas as a springboard for getting hot (Montreal) or it's simply a bad night (New York Islanders). However, I have a different feeling about this game. This game is a testament to Carolina being better in this scenario, which means a 4-2 victory for the home team (with William Carrier getting the last laugh). Again, I'm normally wrong with the predictions and fans could see an offensive eruption from the Golden Knights. However, one can't discount the Hurricanes this season, especially with premier forwards like Martin Necas (16 goals, 51 points).