Nobody expected the Vegas Golden Knights to pull off a spectacular five-game East Coast swing. They thought that the Golden Knights would win two, maybe three, games and come back tied with the Anaheim Ducks. However, Vegas exceeded expectations and got nine out of 10! Imagine if the Golden Knights got six out of... seven points.
Oh god, I can just hear the Gen Alpha kids slowly lose their brains as it sizzles out of their collective skulls.
Anyways, the Golden Knights only missed one point on the five-game swing. That came on the shootout against the New York Islanders, when the Golden Knights' collective brains rotted like Gen Alpha during said shootout. Still, you can't complain about the results, especially against a tough gauntlet featuring Metropolitan Division teams.
It's like getting an extra chicken nugget in your 10-piece meal from McDonald's. Heck, this trip was worth two chicken nuggets since you grabbed the division lead and have a two-point cushion! As I've mentioned, it's always good to appreciate the little things in life, especially when they come as a pleasant surprise.
With that, there's only one reasonable grade to give Vegas after a tiresome five-game swing. You're definitely not giving the Golden Knights an "F" after this whole affair. Not even the shootout loss to the Islanders warrants such a grade since they pulled a point out in the waning seconds.
Grading the Vegas Golden Knights after a brutal five-game East Coast swing
When Pavel Dorofeyev (two goals and two assists during the five-game road trip) and Jack Eichel (one goal and eight assists) have breakout performances for the Golden Knights, it helps in many ways. You have your offensive leaders stepping up, providing ample scoring when called upon.
Not only that, but the special teams were spectacular. The penalty kill had clean exits, while the power play jumped on ample scoring opportunities. Of course, there were times when the Golden Knights looked out of sorts. However, they managed to rebound with Dorofeyev, Eichel, and even Tomas Hertl coming through.
If you're the Vegas Golden Knights, you couldn't have asked for a better road trip. You had gritty (not the mascot) play when they had their backs against the wall. Without Tomas Hertl and Jack Eichel stepping up when called upon, this trip would've looked vastly different.
Still, with Carter Hart providing stable goaltending and the power play coming through, the Golden Knights found themselves back atop the Pacific Division. That bodes well for the upcoming stretch of games, where they'll play in a brief two-game swing in Alberta and have five home games before the new year.
It's always a promising sign whenever a team takes on a tough gauntlet and comes out roses. Maybe they smell more like blood, guts, and tenacity after the scrum's over. However, Vegas came out of the trip with the divisional lead and a slight cushion. The upcoming stretch will pose a greater opportunity for the Golden Knights to build upon that lead, reestablishing themselves as the true "Evil Empire."