The San Jose Sharks have a daunting task on Tuesday. They must stop a red-hot Vegas Golden Knights team that's won eight of their last nine games. Considering they've won two straight after an eight-game losing streak, that's a fairly bad omen for San Jose.
But maybe this Sharks team is different. Perhaps Josh from San Francisco isn't as crazy as people make him out to be. Maybe, just maybe, this Sharks team, led by Macklin Celebrini (13 goals, 28 assists), is turning the corner and becoming a playoff team.
Well...
They're actually in last place in the Pacific Division with 32 points, sitting with a record of 13-23-6. They did beat the Tampa Bay Lightning and New Jersey Devils in the past two contests. However, both teams are on four-game winless streaks entering Monday, a sharp contrast to the Golden Knights rolling to the top of the league (57 points).
Therefore, it stands with good reason that the Golden Knights will provide a tougher challenge than the other two playoff teams on Tuesday. They're the league's best team entering Monday and are playing well despite losing Nicolas Roy and Ivan Barbashev. Still, it's time for another game preview between the two vaunted rivals. Who has the upper hand in the final matchup between the Golden Knights and Sharks of 2024-25?
Breaking down the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks
The last time these two teams squared off, which was December 27, the Vegas Golden Knights were down after the second period, 3-2. Mark Stone (who scored a second period goal) and company were playing a sloppy game, plagued by turnovers and a flaccid power play. However, the Golden Knights cranked up the heat with four third period goals, including two short-handed tallies.
The moral of the story? Duplicating the game on October 26 by jumping to an early lead. Bruce Cassidy talked about this in a press conference this week, mentioning the importance of starting off hot and ready (like Little Caesar's Pizza).
🎥 Cassidy: If we can start on our toes, we're attacking and not giving up a lot, I think that would be a nice approach tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/nmI34m0fSJ
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) January 6, 2025
Of course, this also pertains to the power play, where the unit has scored one goal in their past 15 opportunities. However, it also applies to starting the game overall, where the Golden Knights have relied on a heavy dosage of comebacks. Getting off to a hot start means overwhelming your opponent right out the gate.
Overwhelming the Sharks is key
The Sharks are a young team that's still putting the pieces together. Names like Celebrini and Klim Kostin aren't as seasoned as players like Stone, Jack Eichel, and William Karlsson. Therefore, heavy forechecking and a solid transition game should be in the works.
As for the power play, Cassidy also mentioned that there were times where the unit didn't have all five players in the offensive zone. Passes weren't crisp and turnovers were common, reminding fans of the power play attacks of old. That must change for the Golden Knights on Tuesday if they want to dominate the Sharks. Vegas will have a chance to capitalize on the 18th-ranked penalty kill of the Sharks (78.7%).
The Golden Knights have dominated the Sharks in the all-time regular season matchup (26-2-5 all-time). Considering San Jose is still recovering from an eight-game winless streak, it provides a "golden" opportunity for Vegas to win. Let's go with a 4-1 victory and a series sweep for the red-hot Golden Knights. Somewhere, that Josh kid is losing his mind over the thought of Eichel scoring again.