Well, how’s this for some Sunday morning plans?
On Sunday, the Vegas Golden Knights get off to an early start on the next leg of their East Coast swing to face the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Venue: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
Date: Sunday, March 1
Time: 10:00 am PST
How To Watch: TNT, HBO Max
Radio: 1340 AM, 94.7 FM
This season’s rendition of the Golden Knights and early starts have meshed together like oil and water, and that held true against the Washington Capitals in their previous game. For a myriad of reasons, the Golden Knights just feel like they need some time in each game to get to their style of play, and that has come back to bite them at various points. The early start time today gives them no reprieve, so they have no choice but to get out there and find their game quickly.
Here are some ways the Golden Knights can make matters easier on themselves.
Find an opportunity
Despite a much earlier game than local time, the Golden Knights might still be the fresher team heading into the game.
The Penguins are on the second half of a weekend back-to-back, suffering a demoralizing comeback loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday. The motivation to make amends will certainly be there, but how much energy the Penguins have left in the tank will be put to the test. If the Golden Knights can put some early pressure on their opponent, they could get some chances later on when the home team runs out of gas.
Empty nest
The narrative for the Penguins shifted instantly during the Olympics, with Sidney Crosby suffering a lower body injury during Team Canada’s quarterfinal game against Czechia.
It leaves the Penguins in a similar state to the Golden Knights, where the center depth has been put to the test. Mitch Marner has at least had some success as an experiment for Vegas, while the Penguins are still hoping for one to emerge behind Evgeni Malkin and rookie Ben Kindel. It puts the Golden Knights in a good position to get the edge in faceoffs, and those extra possessions could make a world of difference.
A special pair
This early game could end up being quite the treat, as the Golden Knights and Penguins have arguably the best combined special teams of anyone in the NHL.
The Penguins are the only team in the league in the top five in both the power play and penalty kill, placing third and second in their respective categories. Not too far behind are the Golden Knights, who are rolling with the fifth-best power play and 10th-best penalty kill. For noted power play weapons such as Pavel Dorofeyev and Tomas Hertl, finding success could be difficult to come by, but they can certainly make an impact if they do.