Ilya Samsonov wasn't the best netminder for the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. He allowed six goals on 28 shots, including a power play blunder in which he didn't... tend the goal.
He dumped the puck to an incoming Alex Kerfoot, who put the puck past the goaltender. Fans knew it wouldn't be a good night after that eventful goal in the first period. At least he can have a good laugh from it.
Some fans were calling for Adin Hill and with good reason! The Calgary native has a GAA of 1.97 and a save percentage of .925 in his past five games. Suddenly, he's turning things around and is becoming a reliable goaltender for the Golden Knights.
However, Bruce Cassidy didn't play him. Instead, he stuck with Samsonov in a game they weren't winning anyways. Save up that energy and fight another day. You're not coming back from a 6-0 deficit regardless of where you stand in the game.
But there's more to saving Hill for a rainy day than the goalie being overworked. He would've played in his third game in four days, leaving him a tired heap of a man. Why not just let him snooze on the bench until Tuesday? Speaking of which, there's another reason why the 28-year-old rightfully didn't appear in Saturday's game against the Utah Hockey Club.
Save Adin Hill for Tuesday's matchup against the Edmonton Oilers
It's expected that Adin Hill will start for the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers, according to Rotowire. In case you're living under a rock, the Oilers have Connor McDavid (12 goals, 31 points) and Leon Draisaitl (17 goals, 32 assists), two of the best hockey players in the world.
They also sit in third place in the Pacific Division with 28 points, five back of the Golden Knights. Vegas is still recovering from their legion of injuries, including Mark Stone (lower body). You can't have a repeat performance from Samsonov on Tuesday, especially against a Stanley Cup contender like Edmonton.
Samsonov wasn't the best performer in his own right. But you can't just pin him for the loss. The team was careless with the puck, leaving the Utah Hockey Club to pounce on countless turnovers. In fact, 23 giveaways in a game will do that to you. That's why it's important to have your best goaltender ready. He'll come prepared to defend the rush and... tend the goal.
The Oilers are much scarier as a team than Utah, anchored by Draisaitl and McDavid. But they also have other weapons such as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman. Given the circumstances, they would've won Saturday's game by 12-0. Therefore, you must save your hot hand for a tough divisional test. That way, he has fresh legs for that matchup.
Bruce Cassidy made the right call on Saturday
Sometimes, it's wise to put in another goaltender when your starter has an off-night. Pucks aren't bouncing your way and going all over the place, leaving your netminder on his heels. Therefore, it's time for a switch, finding someone with fresh legs.
However, Saturday didn't have the right circumstances to put Hill into the game. He would've been exhausted for Tuesday's game, leaving him vulnerable to a red-hot Oilers team. Nobody wants to see McDavid and Draisaitl score 100 goals in one sitting, replicating Saturday's performance.
If your division rival is coming after your first-place standing, why risk putting your best netminder in for 20-30 minutes? It's not worth tiring him out to salvage a game that couldn't be saved. Bruce Cassidy knew that and focused on the next matchup, leaving Samsonov for the game's remainder.
Sometimes, that's the smarter play in life. You know you can't win in an unmanageable situation, whether it's a blowout or a house fire. Saturday's game was that house fire, where Cassidy will rebuild for a massive tilt with a heated rival.