On Wednesday, the Vegas Golden Knights were frightened by the Los Angeles Kings. They were doubled up, 6-3, leaving them scared on the road... again. The Golden Knights are 0-3-1 on the road to start the season, where they've only mustered one point.
It's something that Mark Stone mentioned in a postgame interview, addressing the concerns about the team's road woes.
"We definitely want to be a good road team. You can't just rely on trying to win 41 home games."Mark Stone
While T-Mobile Arena is a nice arena to play in, Stone has a point. At some point, the Golden Knights must turn the tide away from the "Fortress." That means building on a road win and taking care of business outside of Las Vegas. Their next opportunity will come on November 6 against the defending Western Conference champions, the Edmonton Oilers.
Therefore, some fixes are in order to address the issue. How can the Golden Knights tackle this problem? What are some ideas they can use to their advantage, making them better away from Sin City? Believe it or not, the issue has many layers, making matters more complicated. Let's dive in and explore how the Golden Knights can tackle handling the road.
Fixing the Vegas Golden Knights's road woes
Surprisingly, one thing that stands out is the offensive side. The Vegas Golden Knights score 2.75 goals per game away from home, compared to scoring 5.57 goals per game at T-Mobile Arena. The mark isn't necessarily an indictment on the team's attack, especially when you're second in the NHL in goals per game (4.55).
However, the Golden Knights did start slow against the Kings on Wednesday. They let Los Angeles jump out to a 4-0 lead, scoring two quick goals in each period. So how does that change?
Believe it or not, relying on the power play is the best option. Currently, the Golden Knights have the fourth-best unit in the NHL (33.3%), benefiting from a new-look group that crashes the net more. If the Golden Knights draw more penalties and cause their opponents to make mistakes, that'll help them generate more offense. Not playing conservatively also helps with this, specifically when they have a lead.
There's also the defensive side that's the problem. The Golden Knights are allowing 4.5 goals per game on the road, compared to 2.29 goals per game at home. That's a mixture of bad goaltending with a passive blue line, where the Golden Knights have suffered. How can this be fixed?
For one, they can take away the neutral zone. The Kings broke through and started generating scoring opportunities as the game progressed. In turn, it led to goals in quick succession, overwhelming the Golden Knights. Controlling the middle of the ice sets the tone for the Golden Knights, creating said opportunities.
Of course, the goaltending must be better. That means staying in position and knowing where your teammates are at all times. That will help the team become better on the road. As mentioned, this isn't a simple one-off fix. It takes the entire unit to correct their mistakes, putting a strong performance to win more road games. It'll result in becoming a Stanley Cup contender, getting back to the top again.