Sometimes, it helps to travel to different parts of the world. The Vegas Golden Knights needed that after a 1-3-2 homestand, where they were all sorts of discombobulated. But all it took was a quick road trip to gain three points to restore your confidence.
Of course, part of that has been because of Braeden Bowman. The rookie has two power play goals since coming up against the New York Islanders, where the unit has five goals in their last three games. What was panic in Sin City has suddenly turned into jubilation, with the Golden Knights being tied for fifth in the unit entering Wednesday (25.4%).
Suddenly, the Golden Knights are feeling all sorts of confident everywhere else. They've earned points in five of their last six games, catapulting themselves into second place before Wednesday's slate of games. Perhaps all it took was destroying the St. Louis Blues and getting a loser point against the Minnesota Wild?
Sure, some people might say that the Blues stink on ice. However, the Rangers are one of the best goaltending teams in the NHL (fourth in the NHL with a team GAA of 2.48). Facing off against Igor Shesterkin, of all people, is a tough task. Yet, the Golden Knights put up three goals on him, en route to a 3-2 win.
Therefore, the lesson here is simple. Just go out and travel. Get away for a little bit and reset your mind. If the Golden Knights can rebound from a brief two-game road trip, you can as well.
For me, it was refreshing to go to Arizona for the weekend to watch a football game. I felt like I was in a new world, complete with friends, drinks, and a win. That's as good as winning a Stanley Cup in your first six seasons.