On Wednesday, Victor Olofsson impressed plenty of Vegas Golden Knights fans, scoring two goals. That included a power play tally against the Colorado Avalanche, a solid team that will contend for the Stanley Cup this season. However, he'll take on a different beast on Friday, facing off against the late-game kings, the St. Louis Blues.
St. Louis has pulled off incredible multi-goal comebacks, starting with scoring three unanswered goals in under two minutes against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday. Two days later, they forced overtime with three unanswered third-period goals before defeating the San Jose Sharks in overtime, 5-4. The Blues have become so good at this aspect that they send chills down Kyle Shanahan's spine.
That means key players such as Alex Pietrangelo and Adin Hill (if starting) must be on guard, producing solid stats. Another comeback would be tough to handle, especially since the rest of the NHL world would salivate at the opportunity. Besides, Vegas needs another solid start to the 2024-25 campaign, where a loss would be a major bump in the road.
So what can Victor Olofsson do to stop this? How can he play better and put on another fantastic performance against the Blues? Believe it or not, the former Sabres winger will play a key role in Friday's game, giving Vegas plenty of offensive firepower. Here's why you should pay attention to the Swedish star in this game.
Why Victor Olofsson will be important for the Vegas Golden Knights against the St. Louis Blues
On Friday, Vegas Golden Knights fans saw a promising vision that could help them against the St. Louis Blues. They watched their power play unit produce two goals against the Colorado Avalanche. Ultimately, it led to Vegas pulling away for an 8-4 victory, putting the league on notice.
Victor Olofsson was one of those power play scorers, netting one late in the second period. He fired a solid wrist shot from inside the faceoff circle past Alexandar Georgiev to score the game-winning goal.
Victor Olofsson with an absolute bullet for his second of the night in his VGK debut! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/cZp2Fgl2ms
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 10, 2024
Golden Knights fans know how bad the power play unit has been over the years. Unorganized play and miscommunication will do that to a group. However, a "golden" opportunity will present itself on Friday. The Blues penalty kill (78.6%) was worse than Colorado's last season (79.9%). If Olofsson can get the jump on his opponent from the same spot, Vegas will stop another comeback from happening.
One particular item to note is the pairing of Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore assisting Olofsson on these goals. They've given him excellent feeds during the Avalanche game, putting him in a prime position to score. If he can replicate that success against St. Louis, that'll help the Golden Knights.
St. Louis is a slow-starting team that will pick up the pace
The first two games for the St. Louis Blues has proven one thing. They're a slow-starting team that picks up the pace as the game goes on. Drew Bannister has done an excellent job of making adjustments during the game, getting St. Louis in a winning position both times.
However, he'll be tested against a better Vegas Golden Knights team. Bruce Cassidy knows how to get the maximum mileage out of his players, which includes Victor Olofsson. He's seeing his power play unit come together and become a dangerous unit. That's bad news for the rest of the NHL, who's seen the group lag behind the competition.
The Swedish forward is leading the charge, using his effective shot to make the unit deadlier. The Blues would be wise to cover and watch him, ensuring he doesn't break out for another multi-goal game. Otherwise, it'll be a long night without any comebacks present. That's okay with Golden Knights fans, who want to see another fast start catapult them to success.