Life was never meant to be easy. You'll run into some bumps in the road, whether it's a bad Vegas Golden Knights loss or running into heavy traffic. These things are inevitable in life, keeping us on our toes and giving us some variety.
Still, there are good things that come with these, too. That includes a surprise player like Brett Howden (10 goals) and seeing Adin Hill turn things around (3-1-1, 1.97 GAA, and a save percentage of .925 in his last five games). Yes, life might be stressful at times. But there are positives people should be looking at to offset these troubles.
There are also things one can work on to better themselves for the new year. In case you don't know what's being referenced, it's the "New Year's Resolution." Common examples of this include digging yourself out of debt and going to the gym.
Of course, the Golden Knights don't have any problems with these aside from Robin Lehner's personal items. But there are some things they can improve as a team. It's time to dive into some quick "New Year's Resolutions" and see what the franchise can build upon. After all, you're never done growing.
Some quick "New Year's Resolutions" for the Vegas Golden Knights
The first "New Year's Resolution" is getting Keegan Kolesar extended. The bottom-six forward has shown himself to be reliable on the forecheck. He's amassed 82 hits in 25 games in 2024-25, eighth in the NHL. Having that physical presence will give the Golden Knights much-needed defensive bite.
Another "Resolution" is figuring out the first period. They've had four goals in that period the past nine games, leaving them off on slow starts. While they've done well in the other two sessions en route to a 5-3-1 record, they can't lag behind their opponents. Doing that against a team like Edmonton will spell doom for the Golden Knights.
Finally, no more plays like this.
🗣️ IF YOU'RE A GOALTENDER, TEND THE GOAL 🗣️
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 1, 2024
Ilya Samsonov delivers a gift to Alex Kerfoot from waaaaay outside of the crease pic.twitter.com/Z4yK4VtyJF
Yes, this has been the talk of Saturday's game since it was a bad play. However, you won't win too many games if you're doing stuff like this. Tend the goal and don't make like Jared Goff trying to find the open man. Otherwise, opposing teams will do what Alex Kerfoot did and capitalize on these miscues. In turn, that creates goals.
Granted, Adin Hill doesn't have this problem often and will lock in if he allows a couple of goals. This also goes for the skaters since turnovers and giveaways can hurt a team. However, teams like the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers will win a series from such miscues.
The new year always offers new opportunities for everyone to realign themselves with their future goals. They can focus on improving and controlling what they can, giving themselves a better life. The Golden Knights can do this as well, putting themselves in a prime position to win the Stanley Cup again.