The vibes in the Vegas Golden Knights world weren't good after Monday's catastrophic loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Like, imagine surrendering four goals in the third period and blowing a 2-1 lead. What looked like a controlled game quickly went south like retirees fleeing the Midwest for Arizona in the winter.
Thus, the gang needed a big victory on Thursday night. Their opponents were the lowly Chicago Blackhawks, losers of four straight. Their locker room was so tense that Seth Jones called out the franchise for its pathetic play. If you thought times were bad in Las Vegas after Monday, imagine living in the Windy City.
That's why jumping out to a five-goal first period was crucial. You couldn't risk looking flat against the worst team in the Central Division, could you? That would've been embarrassing, especially with the Edmonton Oilers losing their fifth straight game. Gotta create some separation in the Pacific Division race, you know?
You needed Keegan Kolesar to snap out of his slump. He did with two goals.
You needed Ivan Barbashev to start a new hot stretch after the 4 Nations break. He did it with two goals and two assists.
You needed those five first-period goals to shake the cobwebs off after a disastrous Monday night. You did that (although it wasn't pretty the rest of the way).
The end result was a 7-5 victory, giving the crowd at T-Mobile Arena much-needed relief. Sure, it wasn't pretty with Chicago coming within a goal in the third period. But a win's a win. It was also a record-breaking night for Jack Eichel. He notched his 51st assist, breaking David Perron's single-season record for the Golden Knights.
Now's the time for the Vegas Golden Knights to pull away
After Thursday's big victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, the Golden Knights now face a tough gauntlet for their home stand. Three of their next four games will be against teams currently in their respective playoff races. The Pittsburgh Penguins are the lone exception, yet that still isn't a game to look past. Never count out Sidney Crosby in any hockey game.
After that is a challenging four-game road trip out east. They'll face those same Penguins along with two surprising playoff contenders. The opponents? The Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings. Columbus is 19-6-4 at Nationwide Arena this season and the Red Wings are 17-5-2 since December 28. Keep in mind that's when Todd McLellan came into the fold.
Meanwhile, the Oilers will wrap up an exhausting five-game road trip against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. After that? Six of their next eight games are against non-playoff teams. Yes, they will head back east for a tour of the New York/New Jersey region. However, a losing streak can quickly turn into a winning stretch with their team.
The moral of the story? Keep winning. It's the best cure for anything and will put you in a comfortable position in the division. Considering Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are two of the best hockey players in the world, they can single-handily propel their team back to their winning ways.
Granted, Thursday's game wasn't a pretty sight. Allowing the Blackhawks back into the game after scoring five first-period goals can't happen again. However, they got out of that game with two points. Sometimes, that's all you can ask for, especially with a four-point cushion in the Pacific Division.