It's only preseason... It's only preseason...
Plenty of Vegas Golden Knights fans were telling themselves that throughout Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Kings, after watching them not score through five preseason periods. It was a long wait for the first goal of the year, with fans tapping their watches in anticipation. Would the fans get what they wanted?
Yes. Thank you, Villiam Kmec, for the first goal of the year. Still, Vegas lost 3-1, which has some fans worried.
In fact, the Golden Knights saw a key player go down with an upper body injury. No, it wasn't Tomas Hertl, who was alive and kicking in a "Fun Must Be Always" fashion. We'll get into that in a bit.
However, fans can't forget that it's still preseason. Golden Knights fans haven't seen Jack Eichel or Mitch Marner hit the ice yet. It's been Henderson Silver Knights players on the ice with the regular players, trying to carve their path to the NHL.
Still, there are three takeaways from Tuesday's game that could have regular season implications. That includes a player getting called up and a unit looking more whole with certain superstars running the unit. You know what time it is, dear reader. Let's hop into the takeaways and see what needs to be said.
1.) Losing Pavel Dorofeyev hurts
Pavel Dorofeyev left in the first period of Tuesday's game with an upper-body injury (muscle strain). He didn't return for the rest of the game, leaving Golden Knights fans concerned. But the concern is with great reason, especially when you don't have your leading goal scorer from last season.
The loss has a ripple effect on the team, including even strength and the power play. For Dorofeyev, it also affects his contract situation since he's a restricted free agent after this season. Will the Golden Knights be able to produce goals without their leading scorer from last season?
Most of all, how long will he be out (if possible)?
2.) Is this the Vegas Golden Knights power play that we should expect?
The Los Angeles Kings had three penalties through the first two periods. That sounds nice for last season's second-best power play in the NHL (28.3%), where they could rely on Dorofeyev and Tomas Hertl to carry the load. However, no power play goals were scored during those first two periods.
Is this a sign of things to come for the Golden Knights? Or do we need to wat for names like Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel to see where the unit heads? The latter is a more responsible take, specifically since there isn't enough evidence to see where the group goes.
3.) Ben Hutton isn't having the strongest preseason
There could be a legitimate case for another defenseman to take the seventh spot on the Vegas Golden Knights. With Jaycob Megna and Dylan Coghlan looking good, the group could see a seismic shake-up if Hutton keeps trending down.
How? Well, he was called for slashing in the first period on Trevor Moore, which eventually led to the game's first goal by Taylor Ward. Against San Jose, he was called for interference against Egor Afanasyev. Keep an eye on the seventh defenseman position during the preseason.