As I've gotten older, I've learned about the beauty of a good nap. It might sound boring to the average person. However, it's refreshing and puts me in a better mood. That's especially true since I work late nights, where I have to wrap up the night reports.
Another good thing that's also boring is the Vegas Golden Knights' current five-game slate. No, the Carolina Hurricanes aren't included despite people labelling them as "boring." Instead, it consists of games against the San Jose Sharks, the Calgary Flames, the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken.
All four teams missed the playoffs last season and played an uninspiring brand of hockey. The closest team was Calgary, who had 96 points and was in contention for a playoff spot in the last week. Upon first glance, this could be a forgettable slate that Golden Knights fans don't even think about while taking their morning dump.
However, it could also get them back to good vibes. A debilitating home loss can hurt a team mentally. Fortunately, the Golden Knights have a palatable schedule to make things easier.
The Vegas Golden Knights can turn a boring slate into a winning stretch
Last night's game was rough for the Golden Knights. They had a 5-3 lead, only for a turnover and a lack of stay-at-home play burn them. In turn, they got stuck in a shootout, where they usually lose. The result? The Kings win their fourth straight game against Vegas.
So, what better way to get back on track than against five non-playoff teams? Bruce Cassidy's teams are well-known for getting off to a fast start, whether it's 2022-23 (13-2) or 2023-24 (12-2-1). He knows how to break his teams out to a fast start and set up a nice cushion for the road.
How? He sets a sense of urgency. He wants his players to carry a chip on their shoulders every season. It doesn't matter if people are picking the Golden Knights to win it all or not. He wants his team to take their anger out on other teams.
The slate can show the hockey world why the Golden Knights can't be taken lightly
If you saw Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Kings, you saw a top line completely in sync. Mitch Marner, Ivan Barbashev, and Jack Eichel were on the same page in the third period, setting up pretty scoring opportunities.
That should inspire enough confidence that things should be alright. Of course, the defenseman group must gel together as the season progresses. This is a group without a true 1D defenseman after Alex Pietrangelo was placed on season-ending LTIR. Who will step up and take over that role?
However, the current five-game slate offers that opportunity to right the ship. With last year's non-playoff teams giving Vegas a chance to work out some things, everything could be back to a Stanley Cup-winning vibe.
After all, isn't that where we all want to be? We'd want to keep our marbles intact instead of what our neighbor's worldviews are. Let's watch Golden Knights hockey and keep our heads tightened, shall we?