Shea Theodore has long been a key offensive piece on the Vegas Golden Knights blueline. Now, he’s being asked to play a larger role in holding the fort defensively and he has answered the call with vigor.
The trick for Theodore has been to not swing too far in the opposite direction. Defend but still produce is the task and Theodore is beginning to find that balance.
Theodore, along with partner Brayden McNabb, are the top D-pairing in the NHL in goals-against per 60 minutes at 5v5 with a .79 goals allowed per 60 mark.
The offense faucet was at a drip for Theodore to begin the season but as of late it has become a rushing stream of points with two goals and five assists in his last 11 games.
The pair has been logging more minutes than in previous seasons and against tougher competition.
- Theodore’s minutes have increased by 2:07 to 24:06 (1st on VGK, up from 21:59). McNabb’s minutes have increased by 1:23 per game to 21:30 (3rd on VGK, from 20:07).
- The increase in minutes has also come with more difficult matchups as the quality of the competition they face at 5v5 ranks 1st and 2nd most difficult in the NHL by the average time on ice played by their opponents. Theodore is 1st among NHL defensemen at 29.76% and McNabb is 2nd at 29.73%. In other words, their opponents average 29.7% of their team’s time on ice, the highest average of any defensemen in the NHL. The Vegas coaching staff is deploying them against the other teams’ best players.
- Despite the increase in workload and the difficulty of that workload, Theodore and McNabb have excelled in their minutes. They’ve been on the ice for 10 goals-for and only four goals-against in 304 minutes together at 5v5. Among defensive pairs with 175+ minutes together at 5v5, they rank 1st in goals-against per 60 at 0.79.
- Theodore’s penalty kill TOI has gone from 0:10 per game to 1:46 (3rd on VGK), McNabb’s has gone from 1:59 to 2:29 (1st on VGK). Those PK minutes have been solid as well. Among defensemen with 30+ minutes at 4v5, McNabb ranks 16th in shots allowed per 60 and 14th in expected goals-against allowed per 60. Theodore ranks 32nd in shots allowed per 60 and 32nd in goals-against.
Masked Magnificence
Akira Schmid has done an admirable job stepping in for Adin Hill. With Hill out week-to-week, Schmid is the No. 1 netminder in Vegas right now and he sits fourth in the NHL in wins with eight.
Schmid is 8-1-2 in 11 games with a 2.45 GAA and .899 save percentage. Many contend that wins aren’t a goaltending statistic but the Golden Knights need to keep piling up points while Hill is injured. Schmid has made timely saves and handled the increase role with aplomb.
Bursting Bowman
Rookie winger Braeden Bowman is writing a nice early season story in Vegas.
Bowman now has two goals in four NHL games and has impressed both his teammates and the coaching staff.
Bowman told family members last week that he literally needed to pinch himself to make sure what was happening to him was real. And then, in just his second game in the NHL, he recorded his first goal scoring the game winner for the Golden Knights in a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues.
Then in his fourth game, he potted another power-play goal at T-Mobile Arena against the New York Rangers. The 22-year-old is playing in Mark Stone’s spot on Jack Eichel’s line and on the Golden Knights power play.
A year ago, the forward was on an AHL contract with the Henderson Silver Knights and his spot there wasn’t guaranteed with a trip to ECHL Tahoe a possibility.
Bowman had an excellent junior career with the OHL’s Guelph Storm scoring 27, 33 and 37 goals in his three seasons there. Last season in the AHL, he scored 14 goals and 36 points in 68 games with Henderson.
“Yeah, it was crazy,” Bowman said after his first NHL game. “It’s really a dream come true and the guys have been awesome, just supporting me the whole way. I’m super proud to get that moment tonight.”
His second NHL game delivered his first NHL goal.
“Yeah, it’s got to be one of the best feelings in the world. Dream come true,” he said. “It was a great play by Pav and Jack, honestly. I just tapped it in. Didn’t really do much, but I’ll take it.
“Honestly, just a great play from Jack to get through the seam. Usually when you make that play through the seam, there’s another one right to the back door and he fortunately saw me. I just hit my stick and it went in.”
Bowman laughed when asked about fitting into a room full of veteran stars.
“I’m trying to stay out of everyone’s way a little bit,” he said. “Just do my thing and speak when spoken to. But yeah, the guys have been awesome. There’s not much I can do to mess up.”
