The Vegas Golden Knights did everything they could to win Thursday's game offensively. Role players got timely goals, ranging from Shea Theodore to Reilly Smith. That should be good enough to finally break a three-game losing streak, right?
There was one problem in that game. It wasn't the secondary scoring this time. Sure, they've gotten all sorts of flak for not doing anything. When Brandon Saad doesn't have a goal, along with names like Keegan Kolesar and Colton Sissons, that's a major problem.
However, another big problem is on Vegas's hands: the goaltending. After Tuesday's overtime loss, the Golden Knights don't have a single netminder with a save percentage over .900. Not. A. Single. One.
Goaltender | Save Percentage |
|---|---|
Akira Schmid | .894 |
Adin Hill | .888 |
Carl Lindbom | .869 |
The situation gets more dire. As a team, the Golden Knights were tied for 24th in team save percentage entering Friday's slate of games (.886). I know what you're thinking: Oh, it's also the defense that has been terrible. While that has been true in certain instances, the blue line and defensive groups have picked up the slack. In fact, the Golden Knights were tied for 14th in goals allowed per game (3.00) before Saturday, allowing the second-fewest team shots (406).
In short, this one hangs on a goaltending group that has underachieved throughout the season. What can the Golden Knights do to remedy this? Is there hope for Vegas to get back to the swing of things or is it too late?
Has Kelly McCrimmon properly planned for the Vegas Golden Knights' goaltending problem?
Adding a former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender to the mix also adds depth. Hart has a career GAA of 2.94 and a save percentage of .906. Should the Golden Knights continue to suffer in the net, he can simply tap into his reserves and pull out a viable netminder. That's no different with the former Flyer, who posted a GAA of 2.80 and a save percentage of .906 in 2023-24.
There's also Adin Hill looming large, despite a slow start. Fans are quick to forget that the netminder had a GAA of 2.47 and a save percentage of .906 in 2024-25. Not only that, but he had four shutouts last season. Sure, he might be starting slow in 2025-26. But that was also the case in 2024-25, when he posted a GAA of 3.20 and a save percentage of .878.
Let's also be honest. The netminder situation is wacky in its current state. Schmid isn't going to be the de facto starter on a fully healthy Golden Knights team any time soon. Carl Lindbom still needs more seasoning in the NHL (and North American hockey, in general). Finally, we don't know what we're getting with Kelly McCrimmon's latest acquisition since he hasn't played in a full season.
All of this culminates into an uneasy situation for the Golden Knights faithful. Who knows what the fanbase will get during the 2025-26 regular season? Will they get a group that held strong long enough to win the 2023 Stanley Cup? Or will they get a flaccid group that falls apart and leads to an early exit?