Before Tuesday's game, some Vegas Golden Knights fans were calling for Tomas Hertl's head. The center wasn't producing at even strength, causing some concern in Las Vegas. However, he had fun against the Los Angeles Kings (as always), scoring two goals and two assists in a decisive 6-1 victory.
Finally, faith was restored and tensions were put to rest. The former San Jose Sharks All-Star appeared back on track with his net-crashing ways. However, another trade deadline acquisition from last season isn't panning out as hoped.
His name? Noah Hanifin.
So far, the defenseman only has three assists to start the season, with only one coming on the power play. The Boston native was brought in to jumpstart the Golden Knights man advantage alongside Hertl last season. However, it's the former Sharks forward who's following through, scoring three goals and assists on the power play.
So where does that leave Hanifin? Will he have a similar breakout game to his fellow trade deadline acquisition? Saturday's game against San Jose provides the perfect platform for the blue-liner to rebound. That's especially true with William Karlsson's expected return, where he'll bolster the overall lineup.
Here's a blueprint for how that can happen on Saturday. Let's examine how Noah Hanifin can finally break out and turn the tide on his season. After all, nothing helps a hockey player's season more than an outstanding game where they dominate.
How can Noah Hanifin dominate against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday?
Entering Saturday's game, the Vegas Golden Knights are scoring on 38.1% of their power plays. That's good for fourth place in the NHL, a surprising spot for a unit that's been historically bad. Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks are killing 75.7% of their penalties. Couple that with an expected return for William Karlsson and the Golden Knights have a golden opportunity.
The Sharks are entering the matchup 0-6-2 and are staring down the barrel of another rebuilding season. For them, it's a matter of getting the younger players more NHL experience. Therefore, Noah Hanifin has the ultimate chance to break out for a big game.
What can Hanifin do? For one, it starts with players like Alexander Holtz, who haven't had much luck scoring. The former New Jersey Devils winger doesn't have any power play points (one goal and one assist during the season) and only has 12 shots this season. Hanifin will benefit greatly if Holtz also has a good game for the Golden Knights.
There's also taking a page from Shea Theodore's book that'll help. The newly-extended defenseman makes his living off shooting past people and creating rebounds out of said shots. If the Boston native can also do this, he'll have more luck and set up his teammates for opportune goals.
Tomas Hertl showed you can silence the skeptics with a good game. In turn, that can escalate into something more, where the center has become an offensive weapon. That could also happen to Hanifin against the Sharks on Saturday, where he gets his own breakout game.