Monday's game between the Vegas Golden Knights and Calgary Flames provides a glimpse between two solid starting teams. Both squads have scored plenty of goals, with the Golden Knights leading the NHL with 4.67 goals per game in nine games. As for Calgary? They've scored 3.50 goals per game in eight games entering Monday, good for 11th.
The two teams are holding out hope for the Stanley Cup playoffs, as proven by the Golden Knights leading the Pacific Division with 13 points. Calgary? They have 11, good for third. It's funny because this was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Flames. After trading away stars such as goaltender Jacob Markstrom and defenseman Noah Hanifin, the club was destined to wallow in the division's basement.
However, that isn't the case. Defenseman Rasmus Andersson has led the charge, scoring four goals and 10 points in his first eight games. They've also gotten steady goaltending from Dustin Wolf (2.74 GAA, .924 save percentage) and Dan Vladar (2.73 GAA, .904 save percentage). With the duo splitting four games apiece, they've shown themselves as a reliable pair of netminders for the Flames.
Those aren't the only reasons the Golden Knights should be wary of Monday's contest. It could provide a trap game, handing them their first home loss this season. I know what you're thinking. You're probably saying...
"It's the Flames! They won't do anything this season!"
Whether that's true or not remains to be seen. However, there are three reasons why the Golden Knights should proceed with caution tonight.
The Calgary Flames had the Vegas Golden Knights's number last season
Last season, the Calgary Flames were surprisingly good against the Vegas Golden Knights. They held a record of 3-0-1 against their Pacific Division rivals, surprising them with a knockout blow. What's more surprising was that Markstrom only started one game (a 3-1 victory on January 13, 2024, in Las Vegas).
Wolf and Vladar are back for "Round Two," ready to shock the NHL world. Specifically, it would be Vladar in net for the Flames. He's 1-0-1 against Vegas in his career, posting a save percentage of .892 and a GAA of 2.71. Sure, those numbers don't stand out much, specifically in the save department.
However, he had an incredible performance in his lone start against the Golden Knights last season. On November 27, 2023, he stopped 27 of 28 shots as the Flames eked out a 2-1 overtime victory. The Czech netminder was the main star of that game and has the potential to steal Monday's game as well.