Yeah, the Vegas Golden Knights look like they’re back in championship form, and they’re already building a commanding lead in the Pacific Division with 39 points. The NHL’s version of the Evil Empire (take that as a compliment) just got the best of one of the better teams in the Western Conference, and if this keeps up, it’s hard to put limits on Vegas.
No, they’re not setting any single-season records like the Boston Bruins did a couple years back, but ending the season with 114-plus points isn’t out of the question. If this team keeps playing at an elite level and players like Ivan Barbashev continue to put on breakout performances, few opponents will even have a prayer to keep pace with the Knights.
And the funny thing is, it’s not like they don’t have weak points. Vegas is, as of early Saturday afternoon, 19th in goals allowed with 82, but it’s their red-hot offense led by star forward Jack Eichel that has the Knights steamrolling through most opponents. Eichel’s got 39 points already and he’s a definite Hart Trophy candidate, and he’s a key factor why they have 99 goals, which is fourth in the league.
You look at Vegas’ special teams, especially their power play, and it’s on fire. And, despite shoddy goaltending, the Knights’ netminders have faced roughly 28.6 shots per game. Not a bad number, and it’s yet another reason why they’re the team to beat right now.
Vegas Golden Knights are making life tough for just about everyone
As if my above remarks weren’t enough, it’s clear that I’m giving the Golden Knights a resounding ‘A’ here. What other letter grade would I give them through two months of the season when they’re cruising through almost every opponent and racking up points to put themselves in prime position to land the top overall seed in the NHL playoffs?
Yeah, you may accuse me of thinking ahead, but this team has me more than optimistic as I write this. Could you imagine how much better they would be if general manager Kelly McCrimmon acquired a decent goaltender? Hey, Vegas wouldn’t need to keep scoring four-plus goals per game on most nights to keep winning.
Overall, I couldn’t be happier about how well this team has played so far between early October and early December. My only concern for Vegas is whether they will peak too early and if that’s the case, we may have some trouble on our hands.
But let’s not concoct any doomsday prophecies when there really isn’t anything bad to think of at the moment and enjoy everything this team has done to date.