The Vegas Golden Knights struggled to get through the neutral zone on Thursday. They were met with numerous Winnipeg Jets players clogging the zone and creating countless turnovers. How in the hell do you beat that?
Well, going down 2-0 after the first period isn't the solution. In fact, it's a colossal problem when you have two teams chasing you in the division. Turning the puck over doesn't help matters, either. It left Adin Hill in a compromised position numerous times, leaving him at the mercy of other players. That included the pesky Adam Lowry, who's been a pain in the arse for Vegas.
Adam Lowry gives the Jets a little cushion with his 15th goal of the season.
— Dave Minuk (@ICdave) April 4, 2025
That matches his career high which he got in 2016-17 in 82 games.
Did it in 14 fewer games this time around. pic.twitter.com/hijxd4Fw9J
Make that No. 5 for Lowry against the Golden Knights in his career. Leaving him alone in the slot is not the smartest move and the team paid for it. What's more, Vegas only got off five shots after the first period. That's not winning you the Pacific Division.
It didn't help that former Golden Knight Colin Miller scored on the power play. It also didn't help that the Los Angeles Kings gained two points with a 4-2 win over Utah. Everything was crumbling to the ground. A 4-0 loss and the Golden Knights are only three points ahead.
Something is missing for the Vegas Golden Knights
Both home games have seen missing elements for the Vegas Golden Knights. First, the zone entries were stalled all night. The Winnipeg Jets did an excellent job of constricting Vegas and forcing them into a countless array of passes. That's something the Golden Knights must fix before the playoffs. Otherwise, they're golfing in May.
But the second thing is a lack of a slot presence themselves. Winnipeg dominated in the offensive zone game, outshooting Vegas after two periods, 19-13. That type of performance gets you swept and embarrassed. So who's missing?
Well, having Tomas Hertl would've been nice in both games. Granted, the 31-year-old wouldn't solve the zone entries problem. However, having him up front would've created deflections and caused the goaltender problems. Mind you, Connor Hellebuyck and Stuart Skinner didn't play in either game at T-Mobile Arena.
Still, having that offensive presence makes life easier. The obvious take would be that it bolsters the power play. But you can't walk out of two periods with only 13 shots. That's not going to cut it. That's where Hertl comes in. He can take the offensive load off his teammates and shine in the offensive zone.
The Golden Knights better turn up the play before they lose the division
A few days ago, the Golden Knights seemed destined to win the Pacific Division. They were on a heater with a six-game winning streak. They also got back from sweeping the three-game road trip and taking care of business. However, the past three days have been uninspiring.
Yes, Vegas has been banged up in the last week. Yes, you don't have one of your best offensive weapons around. But that's no excuse for losing to TWO backup goaltenders. Bruce Cassidy knows this, as do the rest of the team.
The rest of the hockey world is watching. Las Vegans know how other hockey fans feel about their team. If you want to avoid an embarrassing catastrophe, that starts with caring and not coasting through games.
Fix the little things.
Be selfish and shoot the puck more.
Maybe even rest the 4-Nations Faceoff stars like you said you would. Heck, rest your starters if you need to.
If you don't figure it out, you'll be the laughingstock of the NHL, clinched playoff spot or not. You also run the risk of letting your Pacific Division adversaries gain confidence during their playoff run. The moral of the story? Play like you've f****** been there before.