Deadspin released its midseason list of surprising teams in the 2024-25 season. It was a hodgepodge group of teams, including names like the Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets, and Minnesota Wild. But these teams have been riding a wave success behind star power, whether it's the legendary Alex Ovechkin or All-Stars such as Connor Hellebuyck and Kirill Kaprizov.
However, one name also popped up in that article: The Vegas Golden Knights. You see, the consensus was the team was fading after last season. However, they were also riddled with injuries, ranging from Mark Stone's lacerated spleen to Jack Eichel and his lower extremities being hurt. Well, Wade Barrett is here like Dave Portnoy to deliver some bad news to you critics.
The Golden Knights emerged to give an epic beatdown to numerous teams this season. It's led to an NHL-best 57 points, putting them in the driver's seat for home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. Superstars like Eichel (52 points) and Shea Theodore (27 assists) have led the offensive charge, making them into an unstoppable force.
Sure, they might've had their hiccups against star-studded teams like the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals. However, seeing the Golden Knights be one of the league's best actually isn't that surprising. In fact, fans shouldn't be surprised the Golden Knights are streaking toward another playoff appearance. Viva Los Golden Knights!
Why the Vegas Golden Knights playing excellent hockey isn't that surprising
When healthy, the Vegas Golden Knights are one of the league's best teams. They've relied on superstar power such as Mark Stone (23 assists) and Jack Eichel to lead the way. But it's also been emerging stars such as Ivan Barbashev (15 goals, 30 points) and Pavel Dorofeyev (14 goals) who've also led the charge.
But diving into the stats further, fans will see what this team's truly capable of when healthy. For example, Stone has never had a shooting percentage below 12% in his seven seasons with the Golden Knights. He's also never had less than 2.5 points per 60 minutes during his Vegas tenure, either. Stone has also picked up the slack on high-danger expected goals, with last season's total of 9.7 being tied for the second-highest of his career.
Eichel is in the same boat with his last three seasons seeing the four-time All-Star with more than three points per 60 minutes. The same can be said for his shooting talent above average, which has stayed above 12% in the past three seasons. In short, the Golden Knights are one of the most dynamic shooting teams in the league. When your top line's leading the charge and is healthy, it makes your team a legitimate threat every game.
It goes back to Bruce Cassidy as well
Bruce Cassidy has also been at the forefront of the Vegas Golden Knights being successful. In the past three seasons, the Golden Knights ran to incredible starts, buoyed by a hungry team led by Eichel and Adin Hill. In fact, here are the records in the team's first 15 games in the past three seasons.
Season | Record (first 15 games) |
|---|---|
2022-23 | 13-2-0 |
2023-24 | 12-2-1 |
2024-25 | 9-4-2 |
Cassidy has adopted a goaltender-friendly system that has worked wonders for the Golden Knights, blocking shots and creating easier looks for goaltenders. Want to know why Hill (2.58 GAA, .904 save percentage, 9.7 goals saved above expected) and Ilya Samsonov (2.69 GAA, .907 save percentage, 6.1 goals saved above expected) are doing better than anticipated? The system's meant to favor netminders with clogged lanes and bigger bodies.
Of course, this also stems back to health. Even in 2022-23, the Golden Knights were struck by the injury bug in the goaltender position, losing players such as Hill and Logan Thompson. Still, Cassidy's system made life easier for anybody who stepped in, whether it was Jonathan Quick or Jiri Patera. As long as Cassidy's the head coach, the Golden Knights will play better than expected defensively.
Was anybody expecting the Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup to start the season? Honestly, not many were. This was a team who lost a chunk of their forward depth, including names like Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson. Combine that with a wave of injury-prone players and anybody will be skeptical of your chances. But they weren't going to miss the playoffs, especially with the Pacific Division being weak. When you have Kelly McCrimmon and Bruce Cassidy running the show, you should expect the Vegas Golden Knights to kick everyone's butts, just like Marty Mush.