"You are naturally making mistakes because you haven't played with a group of 23 guys for the whole summer," Bellemare said.
When players train in the offseason, their focus remains on staying in shape and improving skills. Any competitive spirit is internal as the goal is to make yourself a better hockey player on an individual level. But hockey players can only worry about themselves for so long. They're pack animals and need to be on the ice with their teammates pitted against another group of 23 men in different jerseys in order to truly feel comfortable on the ice.
That's why the preseason is so important.
"It's tough to get the game shape going, especially in the summer," said Golden Knights forward William Carrier. "You do the bike, you train hard, but you never get that game shape. It's nice to get the reps in. Once these games are over, we'll take another step in getting ready for the season."
Through five preseason games, the Vegas Golden Knights have four victories. The first three wins were big wins in which the Golden Knights fired up their offensive weapons and ran up the scoreboard. That is not uncommon in the preseason as every player is trying to find his own groove with their team and, as players learn new systems or play on different lines, they can become victims of a high-scoring affair. Saturday night in San Jose, the Golden Knights proved that, even in a game that didn't carry any weight, they had guts as a 4-2 deficit dissolved and Vegas flew home with a 5-4 shootout triumph.
Max Pacioretty, the newest Golden Knight, was blown away by his team's drive to win a seemingly meaningless game. For this organization, they all count.
"I know it's only preseason, but this team is competitive like I've never seen in my life," Pacioretty said. "Guys really wanted to win that game. That's a good atmosphere to be around."
The Golden Knights conclude the preseason with two more games at T-Mobile Arena in front of their home fans.
