Now that the ball is beginning to roll in the right direction, the Vegas Golden Knights hope they are not about to endure a cruel Sisyphean twist of fate.
On Saturday, the Golden Knights hope to get a winning streak started at the best possible time when they face the Chicago Blackhawks in game two of their four-game homestand.
Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, NV
Date: Saturday, March 14
Time: 7:00 PST
How To Watch: SCRIPPS, ESPN+
Radio: 1340 AM, 94.7 FM
The previous game against the Pittsburgh Penguins must have felt like a godsend for the Golden Knights. On top of captain Mark Stone returning to action, Vegas was able to get quality goaltending from Adin Hill and a strong offensive performance to pull away late and finally get back on track. The Golden Knights are now back in the hunt for the Pacific Division title, but they cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
Here is how the Golden Knights can avoid the trap game and bring the crowd home happy.
Keep the momentum
At such a critical juncture of the season, the Golden Knights picked a fantastic time to put together one of their best periods of the season.
Only up by a goal in the third period against Pittsburgh, Pavel Dorofeyev and Jack Eichel effectively put the game out of reach, then Hill slammed the door shut on the Penguins before Brayden McNabb delivered the empty-net dagger. It was as close to a 60-minute effort as the Golden Knights have put up as of late, and that has to be the expectation going forward. If Vegas can carry that momentum early against Chicago, they could find themselves rounding into form at the right time.
Slightly misleading
With Stone back on the power play, the Golden Knights can put the perceived greatest strength of the Blackhawks to the test.
With an 85.5 percent success rate, the Blackhawks have the most effective penalty killing unit in the NHL. However, the group has seen some turnover, with the likes of Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy leaving Chicago during the trade deadline push. With the Blackhawks still hammering out their strategy, the Golden Knights could get a nice boost of confidence if they can take advantage of the extra man.
Starting to come around
Much was made about the Golden Knights’ slow starts this season, but there is reason to believe things are turning around on that front.
Since adding forwards Cole Smith and Nic Dowd at the deadline, Vegas has tightened up early with four straight first periods without allowing a goal. With all four of their opponents in that span (Minnesota, Edmonton, Dallas, Pittsburgh) all in playoff positions, the importance of being able to keep games manageable early on cannot be overlooked. For a Golden Knights team that has sometimes struggled to maintain a defensive identity, having a functional one at this stage of the season would be a boon for any potential postseason dreams.
