Important To Keep Perspective After Friday's Loss

Perspective, especially in the morning light after a long night, can result in an altered view. For the Vegas Golden Knights and their fans this is a good thing today.
Friday night's 5-4 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils, which saw the Golden Knights give away a pair of three-goal leads, was without a doubt demoralizing.
The post-game mood was a blend of anger, frustration, bewilderment and embarrassment.
How the heck did that happen? Up 3-0 after one period, 4-1 midway through the second and 4-2 heading into the third - this was a night which should have ended with Vegas taking its two points and moving on to Sunday's game with the New York Rangers.
Instead, a collapse which was punctuated by Nico Hischier's overtime winner for the Devils, left the VGK orbit spinning.

Yo, about that perspective? Ah, yes. Well, in the end it was just another loss and it came with a point which gives Vegas three of a possible four so far on this four-game road trip. In today's NHL and for a team which has now played 20 road games against only 14 at home - that's a more than acceptable result.
How the loss came about shouldn't be swept aside. But it also shouldn't be the only takeaway. It's one defeat and with the season just 34 games old, all is not lost.
Teams that go on runs such as the nine wins in 11 outings which Vegas carried into Friday's action sometimes get a little complacent. Bad habits creep in and the hunger which drives a strong performance can diminish.
Head coach Gerard Gallant has been forced to weigh rest vs. practice time of late due to a heavy combination of travel and games. Practice time has been minimal and structure has been the casualty. Friday's game saw the Golden Knights as misshapen as they've been all season.
Immediate, little picture reaction from such a moment is often rash and emotional. Like a fan driving home from a game and phoning a call-in radio show - most of what immediately bubbles up can best be described as venting.
Are there lessons to be learned? Certainly. But what's the trend? Points in ten of the last 12 games or 50 minutes of malaise?
Don't take this the wrong way. This game shouldn't be ignored. But it also shouldn't be considered a defining moment.
The last time the Golden Knights had a game like this was a 7-2 loss at Calgary on Nov. 19. They followed up by rattling off five straight wins. Most important here won't be Friday's loss but rather how the Golden Knights respond.
If they comeback with more lackluster performances - then there's something to worry about. If they use Friday's game to re-stoke the fire and return to their winning ways - then it's a useful loss.
Last year's Golden Knights considered themselves no names. To be precise - they called themselves misfits. And they played hard to shed that label. Effort was their defining characteristic. It led them to the Stanley Cup Final.
Success has a way of changing how a group looks at itself in the mirror. Veteran forward Ryan Reaves put it this way earlier in the season: "We think we're more skilled than we are. We need to work to win and if we forget that - we won't be successful."
It's human nature to look for that soft spot where one can relax a bit and glide while still achieving. The Golden Knights need to push back against that urge to lean back. They must tilt forward, into the wind and grind. It must be their essence. Otherwise Friday won't be an anomaly.