Golden Knights At Lightning: 3 Keys To The Game

It's an interesting mood around the Golden Knights right now.
Coming off a 1-0 loss in Nashville on Tuesday on the heels of a 3-2 OT loss to the Oilers last Saturday, the Golden Knights have now gone longer (11 days) without a win than at any point this season. Yet the team seems to be feeling good about itself.
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This positive sentiment is less a product of the team's 29-11-3 record which still leads the Western Conference as it is about the process the team has followed in its losses. In short, coach Gerard Gallant is pleased. Where even if the results haven't been there, he feels the execution has been, highlighted by a 43-shot output against the Predators that was only foiled by the brilliant goaltending of Juuse Saros.
This positive sentiment will be put to the test on Thursday when Vegas visits the NHL-leading Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena.
The game starts at 7:30 PM in Tampa, which is 4:30 PM in Las Vegas.
Here are three keys to tonight's game.

1. Break The Drought
If you told anyone around the Golden Knights before the season that it would be January 18 and this team would be averaging 3.33 goals per game and leading the Western Conference, nobody may have believed you.
But to say the least, the club would've signed up for this sort of offense in a heartbeat. In any season. Not just in an expansion year.
William Karlsson has 23 goals after combining for only 15 the past two years with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jonathan Marchessault (41 points in 40 games) is better than a point per game. Erik Haula may score 30 goals, after never notching more than 15 in a season before.
So a lot has gone right.
But even when things go right, there are droughts. It happens in hockey. Nobody scores four goals every game.
And with only two goals in two games since returning from their bye week and four markers in their past three contests, the Golden Knights' offense has slowed a bit. This is largely due to a power play that has slowed, without a goal in the past five games.
In the dressing room, the team is counting on an approach of simplifying their game, pounding pucks to the net and not trying to get too cute.
Will this work?

2. Angry Opponent
The Golden Knights and Tampa Bay Lightning aren't exactly the Hatfield and the McCoys just yet. The Lightning lead the NHL with 65 points and play in an entirely different conference.
However, after Tampa Bay's 4-3 loss in Vegas on December 19, the Lightning were frustrated after a late penalty call led to Shea Theodore's game-winning goal with fewer than three seconds remaining in the third period.

Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, for example, referred to it as a "lousy" word to lose a game. Except that wasn't quite the word he used.
And for a Lightning team that hasn't lost to any team twice this season and that's coming off a bye week, the Golden Knights should expect an angry opponent tonight. Tampa Bay takes pride in being the league's top team, and will want to send a message, especially at Amalie Arena, where the home team is 17-4-1 this season.
The only team in the NHL with a better home record is the Golden Knights, who are 18-2-2 at T-Mobile Arena.
3. Power Play Remedy?

It's no secret that the Golden Knights' power play hasn't performed lately. They were 0-for-5 on Tuesday, and haven't scored a power-play goal since January 2. Vegas is 1-for-28 on the power play since December 19.
Strategically, the Golden Knights liked their power play on Tuesday. Even Predators coach Peter Laviolette lauded the amount of chances that Vegas generated.
This is a results-oriented business, however, and the Golden Knights didn't score and know they have to do better.
If there's any reason to believe tonight can change things it's this: the Golden Knights' power play's 1-for-28 stretch started right after December 19's game against the Lightning.
Vegas' power play against Tampa Bay in that game: 4-for-5.