Mark Stone half chuckled before he gave his answer when asked midway through a dominant performance on Saturday night whether his Vegas Golden Knights squad should still be considered contenders for the spring’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“Some people might not think we are but what matters is that we do,” answered Stone, who had a pair of assists in 4-0 dismantling of the Chicago Blackhawks. “We believe in our group and what we think inside our dressing room is all that matters.”
It wasn’t an overly defiant answer. There wasn’t any anger in the captain’s tone. He knows there are doubters. And with the team having moved through what head coach Bruce Cassidy has labeled an “uneven season,” the fact some observers aren’t believers in the Golden Knights should be expected. But with 15 games left in the regular season the club has now won two straight and woke up on Sunday sitting in first place in the Pacific Division.
Adin Hill as started in goal in four straight games allowed just seven goals over that stretch. He’s providing the team with goaltending which will allow them to win games.
Veteran defenseman Rasmus Andersson was asked after Saturday’s win what the difference is right now for Vegas.
“We’re not chasing games,” came his succinct reply. “It seemed like we were always down 3-0 before we got started for quite a few games. That’s not happening anymore.”
Indeed, Vegas has flipped the trend of falling behind early and have taken leads in three straight games. Cassidy is consistently and transparently honest when assessing his team’s play. And many nights this season in his post-game availability he’s had to deal with inconsistent play. The coach won’t provide excuses but the reality is the Golden Knights are among the league leaders in Man Games Lost (eighth) and Salary Cap Lost due to injury (second). Those are real numbers and they can derail a team’s playoff hopes.
For Vegas, it has prevented them from hitting stride. But with the team now nearing full health with Brett Howden and Mark Stone returning to the lineup and trade deadline additions Cole Smith and Nic Dowd fitting in seamlessly, Vegas has turned its game around.
It should be noted, GM Kelly McCrimmon has made transformative changes to his roster since the end of last season. Mitch Marner, Rasmus Andersson, Hart, Dowd, Smith, Braeden Bowman, Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons are all new to the club this season. If Hart were in the lineup right now that would be eight new players out of 20 in the game program.
Cassidy was asked prior to Saturday’s game why he believed his team was still capable of being a winner in the post-season. He gave a lengthy answer and pointed to a variety of issues which we have broken up to more easily digest.
“Well, we have winners in our locker room, for one. They know what it looks like. We have a lot of good players; you don’t win without good players. I do believe that we’re playing the right style to win in the long run too. I believe that or I would’ve changed. I believe you have to defend well, you have to keep the puck out of your net, you need good special teams. We have all those things,” said Cassidy.
Vegas was perfect on the PK vs. Chicago and two of five on the PP. The Golden Knights are top 10 in both power play and penalty kill on the season.
PENALTY KILL:
- Has gone 19-for-20 in the last 7 games (95%, 1st in NHL) and scored a shorthanded goal, meaning they've broken even in goals on the PK (1 GF - 1 GA) over the last 20 kills. VGK are 4th in shots against/60 at 4v5, 4th in expected goals against/60 and 5th in high danger chances against/60.
- Cassidy has the ability to spread the minutes and keep players fresh due to all the PK players the team now has in the lineup. And it also means he has a lot of guys he can trust against the other teams’ best players. All of the Golden Knights D can kill and 11 forwards as well.
- Forwards with career 0:45 or more SH TOI/GP (11):
- C. Smith: 2:09
- Sissons: 2:06
- Dowd: 1:55
- Karlsson: 1:39
- Marner: 1:30
- R. Smith: 1:16
- Howden: 1:15
- Stone: 1:09
- Saad: 0:57
- Hertl: 0:51
- Eichel: 0:46
- Forwards with career 0:45 or more SH TOI/GP (11):
“We’ve just been missing a thing or two here or there. The injury to the goalies, the setbacks, some different things going on there. Maybe not finishing quite enough because we’re adjusting to chemistry. But now, if we can stay healthy and get on a bit of a run to see what our team looks like, it’ll come together because the other pieces of our game are there,” said Cassidy.
Stone returned two games ago and Vegas is 2-0-0 since putting him back on the top line and moving Bowman to the third line with Howden and Sissons.
Goaltending
- Adin Hill has made four straight starts for the first time this season, posting a .914 save percentage, a 1.77 GAA, and a shutout during a 2-2-0 stretch. It marks the fifth time in Hill's four-season tenure as a Golden Knight that the net minder has made four or more consecutive starts.
4th LINE
- With Dowd on the ice in Vegas at 5v5, they have a 43-32 advantage in shot attempts (+11), 24-13 in shots (+11), 2.4-1.2 in expected goals (+1.2), 26-14 in chances (+12) and 11-7 in high danger chances (+4).
Balance
- The Golden Knights are getting production throughout the lineup as they had a point from 15 skaters this week over four games, including all six D.
“We’re not a disaster where we have to fix a big leak. There are always things, but I like when our team is going and healthy, and when we’re invested, we can beat anybody. We’ve got to go out and do it, though, that’s what is left. That’s the last piece of the puzzle, I can talk here all I want but we’ve got to go out and do it now,” said Cassidy. “Get on a run and let teams know, ‘hey, this team is coming.’ And I hope that’s what excites the guys because it has been an uneven year. But right now, we have the opportunity to really seize control of our division. It’s in our hands. Guys are coming back into the lineup hopefully feeling good about themselves – I can tell you Adin Hill is feeling better about himself. Hopefully our D-core is the six the way we want it and they’re going. Our four lines are, ‘okay, this is who I’m playing with, let’s go.’ That’s what I’m hoping.”
