Halloween is always the spookiest time of the year (unless it's the Vegas Golden Knights being eliminated from Stanley Cup contention). People dress up in costumes, while the children get a bucket full of candy while going to each door. It's part of a string of festive holidays taking over the next few months. Before you know it, it'll be Christmas time.
But let's swing back to the spooky season for a second. It's all in the good spirit of celebrating the chilling stuff. Meanwhile, the children get their fix of the sugary stuff, bouncing off the walls for the next couple of months. That's the feeling Golden Knights fans have after a 6-2-1 start, with the team sitting in first place in the Pacific Division.
However, not everything is perfect at T-Mobile Arena. Some scary things reside in Las Vegas, especially on the ice. No team is perfect and Bruce Cassidy knows that. That's why they play the game of hockey, for perfection is a rarity in any sport. It doesn't matter if it's football, basketball, or the NHL.
So what are some things Golden Knights fans should be afraid of? What could keep Vegas fans up at night? How can the Golden Knights address these issues as the season progresses? Winning the Stanley Cup starts with making some minor adjustments, which will help the team get back into contendership. Let's explore what might haunt the team during the regular season.
1.) The penalty kill
The Vegas Golden Knights have had a shaky penalty kill to start the season. They've killed off 76.2% of their penalties, good for 21st in the NHL. Some things that can improve include exiting and blocking the passing and shooting lanes. Luckily, William Karlsson is back and will add more to the unit.
While the penalty kill unit won't benefit from broken plays like Karlsson's short-handed goal every time, it's refreshing to have a proven special teams player back in the mix. Karlsson plays the full length of the ice and anticipates every play unfolding. It's what the penalty kill needed, especially to start the first six games.
It's not often you see the Golden Knights power play unit do better than its counterpart. Of course, having Tomas Hertl anchor the group with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone helps. But if the penalty kill can carry its weight down the stretch, that's one less nightmare for the Golden Knights.