The Golden Knights have a much-needed get-right game with a drubbing of the Vancouver Canucks

It's been a rough stretch for the boys in gold recently. Fresh off a five-game losing streak filled with close-but-not-quite comebacks, the Golden Knights entered their game against the lowly Vancouver Canucks in need of a bounceback. That’s exactly what they got, as Vegas dropped five goals on the NHL's last-place team en route to their first win since Mitch Marner's revenge game. Let's take a look at how exactly Vegas capitalized on this first half of a back-to-back.

The Barbie Party is in full swing as Ivan Barbashev stays red-hot

Remember Mark Stone's epic goal streak in January? It seems his fellow top-sixer Ivan Barbashev took note, as Barbie himself has now turned in goals in four consecutive games. After Jack Eichel and Cole Reinhardt scored on consecutive shots to give Vegas a 2-0 lead, Elias Pettersson (the defenseman, not the forward) cut Vegas' lead in half on the next shot. However, just 29 seconds later, Barbashev scored on the fourth consecutive shot (and Vegas' third consecutive) to put the Golden Knights back up by two, off a beautiful drop pass from Stone:

After a long dry period for Barbie, this scoring streak has him rounding right back into form when Vegas most needs it. Now back with Eichel and Stone on the top line, hopefully he can keep it going against the Kings tonight.

Akira Schmid makes quite possibly the save of the season

Again on the note of past events, remember Marc-Andre Fleury's absurd save against the Maple Leafs way back when? The one that got Mike Babcock fired? Apparently, Akira Schmid did, as he had himself a save of the year candidate on Pierre-Olivier Joseph midway through the second period:

Besides that highlight-reel moment, the Golden Knights' backup-turned-starter turned in one of his better efforts on Wednesday, stopping 21 of 23 shots from Vancouver and blanking the Canucks in both the first and third periods. It was a nice bounceback from the Kraken game a few days ago, where his puck-tracking probably cost Vegas two goals. The potential Swiss Olympic starter will hope to keep this momentum going over the next few weeks; let's wish him the best of luck at the Games!

Other notes on the intersection of the new and the old

On a brighter note, undrafted prospect Kai Uchacz made his NHL debut for Vegas last night. Though he didn't record a point, the fourth line of himself, his roommate Braeden Bowman, and Cole Reinhardt did some damage, with his two linemates combining for the Golden Knights' second goal of the game. With multiple Vegas forwards still out due to injury, he should get a nice leash to prove himself before and after the break.

And on a sadder one, Wednesday marked the final game that the steel grey home-turned-alternate jerseys will be worn. Vegas will be getting a Stadium Series jersey next year, as well as some undisclosed league-wide program. A new alternate will arrive at somepoint as well, though it's uncertain whether that'll be next year or 2027-28. Either way, a salute to the classic greys that saw Vegas through the first five years, including the first Finals run.