The Vegas Golden Knights were doubled up by the Washington Capitals, 4-2, on Tuesday. It was their first 2024-25 regular season loss, snapping a three-game winning streak. It's expected that the Golden Knights would eventually lose. After all, the chances of going 82-0 in a single season are slim to none.
However, the loss has drawn a sharp reaction from some fans, leaving them to call for the most extreme measures. How extreme are we talking here?
Pietrangelo, Hague, Theodore, Mcnabb, kolesar have got to go! Or this year is going to suck! they’re totally worthless!
— Rain Cosmetics (@Rain_Cosmetics) October 16, 2024
To be fair, most of us had a similar overreaction when watching our favorite NFL team(s). We've called for head coaches to be fired, singular players to be traded, and organizations to be reshuffled. However, most people haven't called for key pieces such as Alex Pietrangelo or Shea Theodore to be fired.
It made me think about how a sports regular season is similar to a roller coaster. Each team will have its various ups and downs throughout the stretch. In some cases, those stretches persist, leaving fans wondering when the bad (or good) times will end. Sometimes, it's best to turn the bad into something funny. That way, we can properly ease the pain.
Moving on after a Vegas Golden Knights loss
Not many fans are fortunate enough to see their teams start with a winning percentage of .582. Golden Knights fans are blessed with this particular circumstance, witnessing their team make two Stanley Cup Finals and winning a championship.
Granted, the front office strategy hasn't been the most well-received. Both fans and other fanbases have criticized Kelly McCrimmon for not valuing loyalty. But it seems that it doesn't matter to the organization a bit. Jonathan Marchessault has only mustered two assists in three games with the Nashville Predators. Chandler Stephenson? Two assists for him with the Seattle Kraken (four games).
Meanwhile, Victor Olofsson scored three goals in four games before leaving Tuesday's loss with a lower-body injury. Two have come on the power play, a historically mediocre unit for the Golden Knights. Such moves are a testament to McCrimmon's boldness in his role. No other general manager would dare burn a fan favorite for cheaper alternatives. Yet, McCrimmon has made it work.
As a result, the Golden Knights sit at 3-1-0 (six points) while the Predators are 0-0-3 and the Kraken are 2-2-0 (four points). The lesson? The only thing that matters is the logo on the jersey front. Players come and go, but the mantra remains the same: Win as many Stanley Cups as possible.
It's only one game, after all
Does it stink that the Golden Knights lost to Logan Thompson and his new team, the Washington Capitals? Yes, it does. Nobody likes losing in any capacity unless it's tanking for a franchise-altering player. You're building for a better tomorrow (or trying to) if you're tanking.
For the Vegas Golden Knights, that's simply not the case. They're ready to win now, using innovation and boldness to take them to another Stanley Cup. Yes, some fans will question whether there's loyalty in the business. However, that's the harsh reality of running a winning franchise.
Would the St. Louis Cardinals have made another World Series after losing Albert Pujols in 2012? Probably. But they did it without him, anyway, heading to the Fall Classic in 2013. That was the case with the Golden Knights in 2023 when they won their first Stanley Cup sans Marc-Andre Fleury. That's the question Shea Theodore will face in the summer if he hits free agency.
Yes, there will be overreactions when you root for a specific team. But it's about maintaining a level head and understanding the reasoning behind it. Remember that one loss isn't the end of the world unless you're rooting for a team like the Carolina Panthers or Chicago White Sox. That's especially true with Golden Knights fans, who know what the organization can do.