After last game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, there truly is nowhere to go but up for the Vegas Golden Knights.
On Tuesday, the Golden Knights will hope to put an end to their post-Olympic frustrations as the East Coast trip continues against the Buffalo Sabres.
Venue: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
Date: Tuesday, March 3
Time: 4:00pm PST
How To Watch: SCRIPPS, ESPN+
Radio: 1340 AM, 94.7 FM
Prior to puck drop, as is tradition, the Sabres will honor forward Tage Thompson for his performance on the gold medal-winning Team USA, and he has already confirmed that he will bring Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin to join in the celebration. It will be interesting to see the reactions for Eichel, whose history with the Sabres has been well-documented at this stage.
However, it is all business when the puck hits the ice, and the Golden Knights need to get right in a hurry.
You got to get mad
Being on the wrong end of a blowout loss leaves a sour taste in the mouth of any team, and the Golden Knights have to be feeling that now.
Expect a more focused and intense Golden Knights team this time around, especially with the playoffs in sight, if that means simplifying the game plan going in, that is exactly what head coach Bruce Cassidy is going to do. If the adjustments lead to prolonged success, the Golden Knights will be more than happy the rest of the way.
Chain of command
Once again, the Golden Knights are going to be tested through injury.
When captain Mark Stone went down with an upper body injury in the first period against Pittsburgh, it meant that the leadership of the Golden Knights is shifting again. With Stone out of the lineup, this has to be the time for the leaders to take control of the locker room and rally the team around them. Whether it’s Eichel, Mitch Marner or another veteran presence, leading by example on the ice will go a long way.
To be the best…
There has been a fair share of red flags about the Golden Knights, but the brightest of them all has been the lack of success against playoff teams.
The Golden Knights have not beaten a team in the postseason picture since the Utah Mammoth in mid-November. With the Sabres sitting in second of the Atlantic Division and set to break a 14-year playoff drought, it is another opportunity for Vegas to prove they can meet the challenge. Otherwise, they might find themselves in a fair share of upset predictions this time next month.