It's time for the Vegas Golden Knights to get back to business. After Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin had a Hangover-style party and hung out with the President of the United States, they're back on the ice to take care of business. No more Miami Beach parties and no more McDonald's meal at the White House.
That means we're back in the business of playing NHL hockey. The Golden Knights are on a five-game road trip and are facing off against some tough teams. That includes the Washington Capitals, the Detroit Red Wings, and the Buffalo Sabres.
That won't be easy to accomplish, especially with every team in the playoff mix. The Golden Knights might have players back and Pacific Division aspirations. However, their opponents also want to make the postseason and go on a deep Stanley Cup run. Something has to give in the upcoming week and someone's walking away happy.
That's where the Golden Knights' Olympians come into play. They must send a loud message to the NHL that they're not going anywhere. They must be on the attack and leave their opponents on their heels. But it goes much deeper than that.
The Vegas Golden Knights must use their Olympians to set the tone during the road trip
Jack Eichel and company have had relative success during the month of March. Historically, they have an all-time record of 69-34-8, marking a massive turnaround from the abysmal January months. But Eichel himself has been successful in the month.
Overall, he's scored 51 career goals during March with 62 assists. He's done tremendous work with whoever he plays for, whether that's with the Buffalo Sabres or the Vegas Golden Knights. That's more than twice as many goals as Mark Stone (25 career goals in March) and more than Mitch Marner's career goals in March (36 goals).
Of course, it isn't just the Olympians that should carry the load. It's no secret that the depth scoring has stepped up drastically. After all, you don't beat the Los Angeles Kings when you're down five Olympians. It also comes down to how you're defending.
The Golden Knights need more from the netminders on the road trip
Yes, I get that it's been mentioned numerous times on here this season. However, it bears repeating with Hill allowing four goals on Wednesday. The Golden Knights must keep the pucks out of the net.
Brayden McNabb and Colton Sissons are back in the mix, which should alleviate the opponent's offensive pressure. However, they can't be the only players that keep pucks out of the net. Hill must use his positioning properly and take away as much space as possible. While the looks should go down, you can't place the burden entirely on the defensemen.
You're not going to outscore opponents by a score of 6-4 every night. Some nights, the goals won't pour in like you're getting all "7's" at a slot machine. If Hill and company can help the defenders, the trip should be much easier.