The Vegas Golden Knights needed a dominant game on Saturday. While they defeated the Boston Bruins in an offensive masterclass, a combination of bad goals and defensive lapses almost cost them the game. Luckily, the Golden Knights answered the call with a resounding 6-1 win.
Fans might look at this and think little of the Flames.
"Oh, it's just Calgary. They stink."
That's true! Entering Saturday's game, Calgary had lost four straight games after beating Edmonton in the opener. However, the Golden Knights had a tough nine-game stretch after the Flames, including a rough three-game East Coast swing.
Thanks to Mitch Marner, Mark Stone, and Jack Eichel dominating offensively, the Golden Knights got one part down. But it also took Adin Hill stopping 26 of 27 shots to make that happen. Combined with 21 blocked shots and three takeaways, Vegas finally got the confidence boost needed to handle that nine-game swing.
Breaking through was a must for the Vegas Golden Knights against the Calgary Flames
Sometimes, we need something in our lives to break through our monotony. It can feel like we're stuck in neutral and aren't making any progress. So, what do you do if you're the Golden Knights?
Do you cower and blame outside factors? Or do you step up? Everyone knows what Vegas did on Saturday, watching Mitch Marner score in just 46 seconds.
When you face the prospect of playing against solid teams like the Carolina Hurricanes, the Florida Panthers, and the Colorado Avalanche, you need everything to click before that tough eight-game stretch. That means the special teams units must be on point. That also means the back-checking and the fore-checking must be solid.
That also means that Adin Hill needed a big game against the Flames. People were rumbling about his lackluster play, calling for Akira Schmid to start.
For Vegas, they go that against a weakened opponent. After a bizarre start that could've easily been a four-point affair, the Golden Knights will take that resounding victory. Just use it as fuel for the upcoming weeks.