The last time the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the New Jersey Devils, Brett Howden didn't show up on the scoresheet. All he had was two shots on goal and a lousy hit. That's it. Thank goodness you have Jack Eichel on the team because it would've been a long night. How else are you making up the offense with a goal and six shots off the board?
At this rate, you should pack it in those circumstances. Even without Jacob Markstrom in the game, winning in New Jersey is tough. The Devils were 15-8-4 heading into that game, taking down lofty opponents. That included giants such as the Carolina Hurricanes, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Los Angeles Kings. One can say they were following standard protocol in the "Being a Stanley Cup Contender from the Eastern Conference" playbook.
However, the Golden Knights won that game, 3-1. They'll have a chance to sweep the season series on Sunday. This time, it'll be under the bright lights of Sin City, where Markstrom could make his return.
But that also provides Howden the "Golden" opportunity to shine in this contest. The home team has won four of their last five games, with the last match being an offensive awakening. Could fans see a goal or two from Justin Bieber's unofficial twin? Here's how he can make the magic happen on Sunday.
How Brett Howden can steal the game for the Vegas Golden Knights
Fans might not notice the center taking strides offensively. But he quietly has seven assists in his last four games. If he was any quieter, he'd go from looking like Bieber to Kurtis Conner. Still, the sudden offensive explosion is promising for Golden Knights fans.
He also found resounding success with his new linemates on Thursday. Between Howden, Keegan Kolesar, and Ivan Barbashev, the trio combined for four goals and five assists in a 7-5 win. They also had eight shots on goal and three blocked shots. They were the main reason the Golden Knights defeated the Blackhawks on Thursday, for Ilya Samsonov wasn't saving them any time soon. If that line plays again, it'll be a focal point of the game.
It seems the Calgary native has found his niche in the offense by pacing past opponents and creating scoring opportunities. It's been well-established that he's found his puck handles. However, getting a goal will continue his ascent while creating the much-needed spark for the home team.
Getting Howden involved more also helps
Now, Howden isn't taking as many shots as, say, Jack Eichel. The elite center has 179 shots this season (team high), followed closely by Pavel Dorofeyev (176) and Tomas Hertl (146). After that is a considerable dropoff with the injured Shea Theodore in fourth (111). The 26-year-old? He has 101 this season.
However, he does have a solid shooting percentage (15.8, tied for fourth on the team with a minimum of 10 games played). That comes with honing that shot and picking the perfect opportunity to score. While he hasn't scored since January 20 and has one goal in the last two months, finding that shot against the New Jersey Devils will help.
How? Just shoot the puck. It's that easy. That's how Ivan Barbashev has three goals and two assists in his last three games. In fact, both games that Barbashev scored were from him firing shots (six combined). Yes, that sounds as cliche as a Booger McFarland take. However, the Russian winger didn't register much regarding stats on Monday against Los Angeles, including a single shot.
So the verdict stands for the center. Just fire the puck at the net and find quality scoring opportunities. Eventually, you'll find one that goes through the net. That could be the much-needed sparkplug he needs on the goal-scoring front.