It must be fun being Tomas Hertl. You're always in a good mood, you're playing for a winning franchise in the Vegas Golden Knights, and you're beloved by the entire fanbase. You've even stolen the hearts of an eternal enemy (well, he DID play for them once).
That's not even considering the dynamic season he had. The Czech center scored 32 goals and 29 assists, anchoring the second line. On top of that, he broke the single-season record for the most power play goals (14). Fun must be always, right?
He's also been one of the few bright spots for the Golden Knights against the Minnesota Wild. The 31-year-old has two goals and a power play assist against the Wild. That's two more points than he scored throughout the 2024 postseason. Mind you, he played five more games in 2024.
Maybe he can spread that goodwill over to his teammates. Everyone knows the top line needs it since they're being badly outplayed. When Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy combine for five goals and four assists in the first two games, you have a problem. That's the main reason why Jack Eichel and the top line will be the primary focus.
"Can the top line rebound or will they be buried?"
"Can the superstar center finally get on the board?"
But there's a good reason why Hertl should be the primary focus. No, it's not because he's a lovable personality. Everyone knows that. It stems beyond being the most relatable athlete to ever exist in Las Vegas sports history.
Why Tomas Hertl, not Jack Eichel, will be the primary focus of Game 3
Everyone knows what Jack Eichel can do on the ice. He's earned a solid reputation as being one of the best two-way forwards in the NHL. That's why he was a dark horse candidate for the Selke Trophy during the regular season. His offensive stats also make him a dominant force, particularly on the power play (five goals and 29 assists on the unit).
He quarterbacks the group efficiently and can find glaring weaknesses in the opposing team's setups. However, the main focus is on Tomas Hertl, who's been a mainstay in the slot.
How important is his upfront presence? When Hertl was out from March 23 to April 10, the Golden Knights' power play stagnated. They only scored three goals on 14 power play opportunities during that span, with all three goals coming on the late-March road trip. That tracks for 21.4% on the power play.
With Hertl back in the mix, that big body returns. Mind you, the Wild weren't the best penalty-killing team in the NHL (72.4% success rate, 30th in the NHL). If the referees start calling penalties against Minnesota, that could be bad news for the Wild in Games 3 and 4. The result? Turtle power takes over the "Twin Cities."
There have only been two penalties called on the Wild during this series so far. Both came in Game 1, where Pavel Dorofeyev struck gold with assists from Shea Theodore and.. Tomas Hertl. If Hertl and the gang can draw some penalties against Minnesota, they can get the power play in motion. That could lead to the Czech center taking over the series by himself. Who better to do that than a lovable personality?