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Expect Another Active Deadline For The Golden Knights; But No Rentals

By

On December 20, 2019

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

There are 66 days left before the clock strikes midnight (technically noon) on the NHL’s open trade season. February 24th is the NHL’s trade deadline and like they have been each of the first two years, the Golden Knights are expected to be busy.

We were tight on the cap, but now we’re kind of clear. If we do things right we’ll be in good shape at the trade deadline to do something interesting. We’ll see what the opportunities are. We have a need in one particular area that I’m sure George is going to try and fill. –The Creator on Vegas Hockey Hotline

Speculation is sure to run rampant between now and then but the most likely “need” for the Golden Knights is an upgrade on the back end.

We’re accruing cap space every day right now, not a lot… so there could be something happening (at the deadline) but not a Mark Stone type happening… Then we want to try and start building cap space. We really do, we want to have more cap space. -The Creator on Vegas Hockey Hotline

There is one key caveat the Golden Knights like to stick to though.

George and Kelly won’t give up assets for a rental. It just doesn’t happen. They want a player that’s going to be with our team for a long time. -The Creator on Vegas Hockey Hotline

There won’t be any Taylor Hall-esque deals for Vegas.

If we bring someone in at the trade deadline we’re going to want to have a contract with him. If we want that person we’ll want a longer-term deal as part of the transaction. -The Creator on Vegas Hockey Hotline

This doesn’t completely mean the upcoming UFA’s are completely off the table for the Golden Knights, but it does mean the net will be cast a little wider.

The Golden Knights are expected to have their pro scouting staff in house in early January to start preparing for February 24th. From that point on, expect the Golden Knights to be active on the rumor mill looking for that final piece to push them across the finish line this season.

**Listen to the entire interview with The Creator on Vegas Hockey Hotline with Brian Blessing here.**

Jimmerson -

VANCOUVER CANUCKS 5 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4 (19-13-6 44 PTS) – OT

By

On December 19, 2019

In Game Recaps

Recap: The Canucks got off a quick start, scoring the game’s first goal 2:49 into the game. Pesty Antoine Roussel controlled a rebound and buried it passed Marc-Andre Fleury. Vegas would go down two on a Vancouver power play goal. Jonathan Marchessault cut the lead in half with his 11th goal of the season. Unfortunately, the Canucks scored with :28 seconds to go in the period. After one, Vegas trailed 3-1.

Reilly Smith brought Vegas within one with his 14th goal of the season. Nick Holden tied the game 3-3 on a screened shot from the point. Vegas would fight off a late penalty and hold the tie after 40 minutes in the books.

Vancouver would regain the lead 4-3 midway through the final period. Elias Petterson scored his second goal of the game to give the home team the one goal edge. Mark Stone would tie the contest 4-4 on a beautiful catch and shoot with Max Pacioretty. The game would be settled in overtime. The Golden Knights comeback attempt came up short losing 5-4 in OT.

Vegas’ record drops to 19-13-6 with their OT loss against Vancouver. However, the team picked up a point and is now tied with Arizona for first place in the Pacific Division. The team travels to San Jose for another divisional matchup on Sunday night. Game time is scheduled for 7PM. (Recap by Jason)

Analysis: Far from Vegas’ best game, the Golden Knights battled through it controlling play for most of the game despite chasing it. Fleury was not at his best and Markstrom was unbelievable. Considering the goalie discrepancy, getting a point is a win. Vegas now improves to 8-1-2 since going to VGKD 2.0. (Analysis by Ken)

Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights at Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena

  • VGK is very good on 4-on-4.

Ken’s Three VGK Stars
*** Mark Stone
** Max Pacioretty
* Mark Stone

Jimmerson -

Is Vegas In The Market For A Defensive Defenseman?

By

On December 19, 2019

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

We’ve speculated for weeks that the Golden Knights might be in the market for a  defenseman at some point this season. At first, we assumed management would go for an offensively minded defenseman, but some analysts are speculating just the opposite.

I think they’re looking at defense. They’re a rock offensively and have enough scoring. Pacioretty is shredding it up right now. Marchessault is starting to heat up… I would say that Vegas is a team that’s probably looking at defense. Stopping power rather than scoring power. They have more than enough .-Pierre McGuire, on TSN Montreal

Another insider, Elliotte Friedman wrote in his latest 31 thoughts blog, that there are a handful of defensive defensemen possibly available by trade deadline.

Here are some of the players mentioned: Jake Muzzin, Justin Braun, Joel Edmundson, Radko Gudas, Justin Schultz, Brendan Dillon, Andy Greene.

Justin Braun is the name that pops off the page for me, especially considering his familiarity with the division. Friend of the site, and reporter for Fear of the Fin and The Point, Sheng Peng watched enough of Braun to appreciate his defensive skill set.

There aren’t many bottom pairings capable of limiting Patrick Kane, as Dillon and Braun helped do in San Jose’s 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The tandem played more against Kane at 5-on-5 than any other pairing.

Not many teams have that confidence to match their third pairing, last change at home, against a superstar.

In Karlsson’s absence, Dillon, Braun and Burns have taken the bulk of the shifts at 5-on-5 against the likes of Kane and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. This with Vlasic, still considered to be one of the better defensive defensemen in the world, under relative wraps.-Sheng Peng, March 4th, 2019

Here’s an example Sheng singled out, highlighting Braun’s defensive positioning and patience on a 2-on-1.

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SinBin.vegas Podcast #180: The Turning Point

By

On December 18, 2019

In Podcast

Recorded at Moneyline Sports Bar at Park MGM we chat about the Golden Knights’ recent success starting with their win in Nashville. Hosted by Ken Boehlke and Jason Pothier.

  • What deserves the most credit in the turnaround.
  • Players no longer struggling
  • Taylor Hall’s impact on the division
  • Chandler Stephenson the new Ryan Carpenter?
  • Trading Cody Eakin?
  • Dealing with adversity

And much more…

We are on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and Google Play. Subscribe now!

Jimmerson -

“Our Game Has Taken Off Since” VGKD 2.0

By

On December 18, 2019

In Game Analysis

There’s no doubt that game was huge for us. We played a good hockey game that night and all of a sudden it looked like we were going to come out with no points. Then with 0.3 seconds left on the clock we tie it up and then we win the game. Our team was really excited after that game. They were excited, pumped up and I think that’s been a big positive for us moving forward. –Gerard Gallant on VGK Insider Show

With each and every game that’s passed since, the game in Nashville is looking more and more like the turning point of the season.

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

Since that game, which was three weeks ago now, the Golden Knights are 8-2-1. They’ve won four road games, and even in the three games they dropped they played well for the majority of them.

There’s plenty that’s changed since that fateful night in Nashville (listen to our podcast dropping later today where we dive into all of them), but the biggest one is undoubtably the introduction of VGKD 2.0.

It’s no secret we tweaked some things in our game and I think it’s allowed us at times to work hard going the other way. -Max Pacioretty

Before the change, the Golden Knights had scored 77 goals and allowed 77 goals. That’s 2.96 goals per game both scored and allowed. Since, Vegas has scored 35 and allowed 28. 3.18 goals for and 2.55 goals against. A difference in 0.63 goals per game total!

We’ve been a lot better at getting our guys up into the offensive zone and keeping pucks alive. You give our forwards an extra 10 seconds in the zone and that’s all they need sometimes. -Nate Schmidt

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VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3 MINNESOTA WILD 2 (19-13-5 43 PTS)

By

On December 17, 2019

In Game Recaps

Recap: Vegas hosted the Minnesota Wild a team with past success at the T-Mobile arena. In three previous games in Las Vegas, the Wild were 3-0.

The opening period was a back and fourth contest but turned quickly in favor for the Wild with about four minutes remaining. Vegas was called for three late penalties resulting in a power play goal for Minnesota. After 20 minutes, the Golden Knights trailed 1-0.

Chandler Stephenson would continue to impress his new teammates tying up the game with his 6th goal of the season, and his 3rd as a Golden Knight. Shea Theodore would give Vegas the lead on a nice rush with :10 seconds left in the 2nd period.

Tomas Nosek added to Vegas’ lead with his 5th goal of the season stretching his team’s lead to 3-1. Minnesota would get one with their goalie pulled but couldn’t find the equalizer in the dying seconds.

Vegas’ record improves to 19-13-5 with 43 points. The team will take a quick divisional road trip to play Vancouver and San Jose. They’ll face off against the Canucks on Thursday night. Game time is scheduled for 7PM. (Recap by Jason)

Analysis: Vegas did well to overcome some 1st period adversity. A pair of horrendous penalty calls set the Golden Knights back as they headed to the 1st intermission down a goal. However, they put together back-to-back solid periods and earned a much needed win against a team they’ve struggled mightily against. (Analysis by Ken)

Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs Minnesota Wild at T-Mobile Arena.

  • If Nashville was the turning point, what/who deserves the most credit?

Ken’s Three VGK Stars
*** Deryk Engelland
** Tomas Nosek
* Mark Stone

Jimmerson -

Pacioretty’s Slick Skills Surprising Goaltenders

By

On December 17, 2019

In Game Analysis

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

It’s fair to say Max Pacioretty is on fire. Over his last four games, he’s totaled 8 points (5 goals, 3 assists) and was easily named the NHL’s Player of the Week. It’s not surprising by the points he’s collected, because that’s what Pacioretty does, but it’s the fashion in which he’s scoring. His flashy deke move clinched an overtime victory in Dallas, and a nearly identical move gave Vegas a cushion against Vancouver. So, what’s gotten into him?

It didn’t really work as much in the past, maybe I’m faking the shot a little bit more. I had been shooting a lot of pucks this year so goalies are expecting the shots a little bit more. I’m trying to mix things up and it’s worked twice in a row.- Max Pacioretty

His arcade-style goals were scored on goaltenders built like monsters. Ben Bishop is 6’7 and Jacob Markstrom is 6’6, two of the biggest players in the NHL. Pacioretty had no problem getting them to bite on his move. Did their giant sizes force #67 to hold his shot and go for a filthy fake out?

No, not really. A lot of the times I come down the left side I shot the puck and realized after how far out the goalie was. In St. Louis, one I ended up scoring on the rebound but then I had another one coming down the left side where Binnington was so far out I had to find a way to get him to move side to side. So, it was something I thought about after the St. Louis game. – Pacioretty

We’ve seen show-stopping dangles from Shea Theodore, Alex Tuch, Reilly Smith and of course William Karlsson. But it’s pleasantly surprising coming from a sharpshooting winger like Pacioretty.

He’s got a chance to get pucks on goal every game. Obviously, those two goals, the deking goals you don’t see a whole lot of those from Max but he’s shooting the puck so well so he’s trying to surprise the goalie.- Gerard Gallant

This season, Pacioretty is 2 for 2 channeling his inner Gretzky, so how much can Golden Knights expect to see?

I can’t go to it every time but it keeps the goalies a little but honest. -Pacioretty

In his second season as a Golden Knight, the 12-year-veteran is on pace for career highs in points and assists, so it’s clear he’s feeling confident with the puck.

We may not see as many highlight rushes to the net but we’ll sure be reading his name on the box score plenty the rest of the year.

Jimmerson -

Pacific Division Dominances Continues Into 2019-20

By

On December 16, 2019

In Stats

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

It doesn’t matter which team sport you are talking about, every coach, player, and analyst will tell you the easiest route to the playoffs is by winning division games. While the Golden Knights have had a rocky start to 2019-20, the franchise history of dominating the Pacific has continued.

Vegas currently sits in 2nd place in the division with an 18-13-5 record good for 41 points in 35 games. Against the Pacific Division, they are 8-3-1 or 17 points in 12 games. The Golden Knights started the season winning five of six against the division and have rebounded to win two straight after a 1-2-1 skid.

8-3-1 is a .708 points percentage which translates to 116 points over an 82 game season. Vegas is 10-10-4 against everyone else for a .500 points percentage or an 82 point pace. These numbers are even more drastic over the course of the franchise’s history.

 17-1818-1919-20Overall
vs. NHL51-24-743-32-718-13-5112-69-19
vs. Pacific20-6-318-8-38-3-146-17-7
vs. Everyone Else31-18-425-24-410-10-466-52-12
vs. NHL Pts%.665.567.569.608
vs. Pacific Pts%.741.672.708.707
vs. Everyone Else Pts%.623.509.500.554
vs. NHL Pace1099393100
vs. Pacific Pace122110116116
vs. Everyone Else Pace102848291

Maybe the biggest reason for this is the play of the Golden Knights 1st line.

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VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 6 VANCOUVER CANUCKS 3 (18-13-5 41 PTS)

By

On December 15, 2019

In Game Recaps

Recap: The Golden Knights welcomed in divisional foe Vancouver Canucks to a Sunday afternoon matchup. The game got off to a quick start for both teams. Nick Holden wristed his third goal of the season giving Vegas the early 1-0 lead. Elias Pettersson tied the game on a nice second effort goal passed Marc-Andre Fleury. Vegas was awarded two power plays in the 1st period and Valentin Zykov capitalized on one of them to give the Golden Knights a 2-1 lead.

Jonathan Marchessault gave Vegas a two goal lead early in the 2nd period on a beautiful tick-tack-toe play with his linemates. Mark Stone would join the party tallying his 12th goal of the season giving Vegas a 4-1 lead.

Vancouver would get on the board and trim the lead in half early in the 3rd period. Max Pacioretty scored Vegas’ fifth of the night continuing his hot streak. He would add another later. With his goals, Pacioretty has scored 8 points in his last four games. The Golden Knights would go on to beat Vancouver 6-3.

Vegas’ record improves to 18-13-5 as they slide into second place in the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights will next host the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night. Game time is set for 7PM. (Recap by Jason)

Analysis: The Golden Knights put together a great effort from start to finish in this one. They moved through the neutral with ease in the 1st and controlled the puck in the 2nd. Defensively wasn’t perfect at the start of the 3rd, but they righted the ship and held on to the win easily. Completely outclassed a Pacific Division opponent. (Analysis by Ken)

Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs Vancouver Canucks at T-Mobile Arena.

  • Pacific Division dominance continues

Ken’s Three VGK Stars
*** Mark Stone
** Max Pacioretty
* Valentin Zykov

Jimmerson -

Carp: Chandler Stephenson Is Ryan Carpenter 2.0

By

On December 15, 2019

In Team Ops

**Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Famer, Steve Carp’s returns to SinBin.vegas for the 2019-20 season. His weekly column publishes every Sunday during the Golden Knights season and is brought to you by the Jimmerson Law Firm.**

When the Golden Knights traded for Chandler Stephenson earlier this month, my initial reaction was: “O.K.”

I wasn’t overwhelmed by the move nor was I disappointed, given what the Knights gave up to the Washington Capitals to get the fleet forward — a fifth-round draft pick in 2021. What I knew was the team was lacking depth in its bottom-six forwards and Brandon Pirri and Nicolas Roy didn’t seem to be figuring in the team’s plans in the immediate future.

Valentin Zykov? I also didn’t think he was part of the Golden Knights’ future. So snagging Stephenson seemed like a “nothing ventured, nothing gained” kind of move. If it worked out, great. If it didn’t, at some point Cody Eakin would be back and he would reclaim his spot.

But then Cody Glass got hurt against the Rangers on Dec. 8, courtesy of a Brendan Lemieux elbow to the head. He likely has a concussion or symptoms of one and who knows when he’ll be back on the ice? There was no update on Glass’ status or Eakin’s prior to Sunday’s game against Vancouver at T-Mobile Arena.

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

Suddenly, Stephenson has become a more valuable commodity. The Knights recalled Zykov from the Chicago Wolves and put him on the third line. Stephenson, who has played with virtually everyone so far in his brief stint in Vegas, is centering for Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone on the Knights’ second line and the trio appear to be clicking. Both Stone and Pacioretty have registered points in three straight games while working with Stephenson.

Part of it is when you’re playing with two talented wingers, it forces you to elevate your game. Part of it is Stephenson has his own solid skills — he’s an excellent skater, has a good hockey I.Q. and he has quickly picked up Vegas’ system.

The other part of the equation is he’s an NHL veteran. This is his fifth season in the league and he’s just 25 years old. He understands how to play at this level. He has kept things simple and not tried to overthink the situation, regardless of who he has been paired with by Gerard Gallant.

It’s been good. Obviously when I first came here, meeting a whole new team, that’s something I’d never experienced before. But knowing Schmitty (Nate Schmidt) and Nabber (Brayden McNabb) here obviously helped. With the group that’s here, it’s a very welcoming group. Everybody made me feel at home right away and made me feel like I was part of the team. It was an easy transition. -Stephenson

With his skills and his versatility, Stephenson reminds me of another Golden Knight who was obtained in December and turned out to be an important cog in the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final their inaugural season.

Remember when George McPhee plucked Ryan Carpenter off waivers from San Jose? No one thought much of the move at the time. He was a decent player who wasn’t getting much ice time with the Sharks.

Carpenter turned out to be a reliable, versatile player, someone who could play anywhere, kill penalties, be on the ice late in games to help protect a one-goal lead and was good in the locker room and was liked by his teammates.

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VGK to Win Stanley Cup
+1200

VGK to Win Western Conference
+550

See the complete history of VGK Odds here.

Points To Elimination

Updated: 12/19/19 10:58 PM

Los Angeles – 81
San Jose – 83
Anaheim – 84
Vancouver – 87
Calgary – 90
Edmonton – 91
Arizona – 92

Chicago – 83
Minnesota – 88
Nashville – 91
Dallas – 92
Winnipeg – 95
Colorado – 98
St. Louis – 99

Points To Elimination explanation

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VGK to Win Stanley Cup
+1200

VGK to Win Western Conference
+550

See the complete history of VGK Odds here.

Points To Elimination

Updated: 12/19/19 10:58 PM

Los Angeles – 81
San Jose – 83
Anaheim – 84
Vancouver – 87
Calgary – 90
Edmonton – 91
Arizona – 92

Chicago – 83
Minnesota – 88
Nashville – 91
Dallas – 92
Winnipeg – 95
Colorado – 98
St. Louis – 99

Points To Elimination explanation

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