Ken Boehlke, Author at SinBin.vegas

Author: Ken Boehlke Page 2 of 246

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

It was exactly 1,944 days since Las Vegas was awarded an NHL franchise. They’ve been named the Vegas Golden Knights for 1,824 of them. The team played their first game 1,473 days ago and they’ve been actively competing inside of a regular season for 652 days.

Today stands as just the 95th day in which the Golden Knights have been on the outside of the playoff picture. These past few days have represented just the 27th, 28th, and 29th days in which VGK have ever sat in 7th place, and if the Flames win in Anaheim tonight it’ll be just the 3rd day in 1,944 days of existence that the Golden Knights will be in dead last in the division.

	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2021	2021-22
Yes	184*	125*	131*	121*	3
No	0	60	31	0	4

	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2021	2021-22
1st	122*	0	29*	85	1
2nd	60	11	18	29*	1
3rd	1	100*	29	2
4th	1	22	48	5
5th	0	10	34	0	1
6th	0	15	3	0	1
7th	0	25	1	0	3
8th	0	2	0	0

The numbers are quite astounding when you considered the historic success, or really, failures, of previous NHL expansion teams. Not only have the Golden Knights reached the playoffs every season, they’ve been on the correct side of the playoff cut line for 85.5% of their days in the NHL.

Maybe even more impressive, the Golden Knights have held down the #1 spot in the Pacific or West division for 36% of the 657 regular season days. No other spot accounts for more than 20% and 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th places combine for just 14.4% of the days.

Yes, that’s right, that means the Golden Knights have been in 1st place more than twice the amount of time they’ve been anywhere in the bottom half of the division.

The latest the Golden Knights have ever been out of the postseason picture was on January 17th, 2020, one day after firing Gerard Gallant (they were in 1st place 11 days earlier).

And Friday was the first day of the first 178 regular season days coached by Pete DeBoer.

The Golden Knights aren’t back in action until Wednesday, which means they’ll have to suffer through at least two more days in an unfamiliar position.

DeBoer Finds Positives As Injuries Mount

By Ken Boehlke

On October 16, 2021

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

Even before their trip to Los Angeles on Thursday night, the Golden Knights were fighting through a rash of injuries. Now, it appears they’ll be without two thirds of their top line and two of the best players on the roster for a significant period of time.

*Always stay up-to-date with the newest information by checking out out Injury Report*

Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, Alex Tuch, Nic Roy, Brett Howden, and William Carrier all missed practice today, a practice in which the defensemen actually outnumbered the forwards. (Evgenii Dadonov was absent too, but it was described as a maintenance day).

Obviously, this is not ideal for a team expected to run away with the Pacific Division, but that won’t stop the Golden Knights’ head coach from searching for positives.

The first of which was schedule related. The Golden Knights have a five day break between their second and third games of the season, the second longest break between games this season after the All Star break.

I think the fact that we don’t play until Wednesday will give us the opportunity to get more guys out here. I think everybody likes the idea after a stinker of getting out and playing the next night but the reality of it is we’ve got 3 or 4 guys that wouldn’t have been available tonight or tomorrow night so it’s probably not a bad thing. -DeBoer

He’s also aware though that the worst of the injuries are to the best players of the group. DeBoer is hoping being without Stone and Pacioretty can actually be a good thing for his team.

I told our group this morning that the silver lining of this I’m hoping this might be the best thing to happen to us. You take out guys that you rely on for offense every night. You’ve got to play with detail, you’ve got to have that defensive foundation, you’ve got to be prepared to win 2-1, 3-2. We’ve got to get that back, we haen’t had enough of that. -DeBoer

The team has two more practices before their next game which starts a three game homestand against St. Louis, Edmonton, and the New York Islanders.

Adversity is here, but the Golden Knights appear ready to attack it head on.

Assessing VGK’s Options Without Mark Stone And Max Pacioretty

By Ken Boehlke

On October 16, 2021

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

The Golden Knights came into this season touting “the deepest forward group in team history.” Due to a rash of injuries, that depth will be put to the test quickly this year and may ultimately determine the fate of the Golden Knights’ fifth season.

With Alex Tuch sidelined until at least January and Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty seemingly joining him with serious injuries, the options are starting to look limited on Pete DeBoer’s lineup choices.

Eventually, he’ll get Nic Roy, William Carrier, and Mattias Janmark back, but even then, it’s challenging to come up with a lineup that will truly strike fear in an opponent.

Here’s the most likely solution Vegas could turn to.

Marchessault-Karlsson-Smith
Janmark-Stephenson-Dadonov
Krebs-Patrick-Kolesar
Carrier-Howden-Roy

The Misfits return to the top of the lineup and will have to carry a massive load both offensively and as the clear best defensive line of the four. The good news with this group is there isn’t a major weak spot. Sure, there would likely be games where certain lines struggle, but as long as the Misfit Line produces, they should be able to survive.

The next option is to swap a Dadonov and Kolesar in the middle-six to try and build an offensive line and a defensive line.

Twitter Space – October 15th, 2021

By Ken Boehlke

On October 15, 2021

In Podcast

As the bad news continues to pour in, this Twitter Space takes a look at the lineup without Stone and Pacioretty, the games ahead, what change this all makes on Eichel, and more.

LOS ANGELES KINGS 6 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2 (1-1-0 2 PTS)

By Ken Boehlke

On October 14, 2021

In Game Recaps

Recap: The Golden Knights and Kings faced off for their first of four matchups this season. Vegas struck first nine minutes into the opening period after Shea Theodore wristed his first goal of the season from the blue line. Los Angeles tied the game off a rebound and took the lead on a screened shot past goaltender Robin Lehner. After 20 minutes the Kings lead 2-1.

Los Angeles added to their lead three minutes into the middle frame. Newly signed Philip Danault stung the Golden Knights once again with his first goal as a King. Captain Anze Kopitar stretched LA’s lead to 4-1 with his second of the game.

Vegas coach Pete DeBoer replaced Lehner with backup Laurent Brossoit for the final period but it wouldn’t matter. Drew Doughty scored the Kings second power play goal of the night to end any shred of hope of a Vegas comeback.

The Golden Knights record drops to 1-1-0 after their 6-2 defeat in LA. Vegas will have a few days off to prepare for their next opponent on Wednesday night. Puck drop against the St. Louis Blues is scheduled for 7PM. (Recap by Jason)

Analysis: The Golden Knights did not look good from the drop of the puck on this night and despite taking a lead (thanks to a major goalie mishap) it never got better. The 2nd period could go down as one of the worst in a long time for the Golden Knights as they allowed two goals and lost Mark Stone to what looks like a serious injury. DeBoer pulled Lehner for the 3rd, and Brossoit allowed a goal on the very first shot he saw. If it could go wrong, it did. (Recap by Ken)

Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs. Los Angeles Kings game at Staples Center.

Value Of Golden Knights Franchise Up 78% From Purchase Price, Ranked 12th In NHL

By Ken Boehlke

On October 14, 2021

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

On June 22nd, 2016 the NHL approved expansion to Las Vegas and The Creator agreed to pay $500 million to buy the league’s 31st franchise. A little more than five years later, that investment has nearly doubled.

According to Sportico.com, the Vegas Golden Knights are currently valued at $890 million, a 78% increase in value from the purchase price.

That number puts the Golden Knights in the top half of the league, coming in at #12, directly behind the Vancouver Canucks ($975m), Detroit Red Wings ($1.025b), and Edmonton Oilers ($1.16b). The Toronto Maple Leafs ($2b) lead the league followed by the New York Rangers ($1.87b) and Montreal Canadiens ($1.58b).

The last time a national outlet put out valuations like this was back in December of 2019. At that time, Forbes had the Golden Knights at just $580 million, in 13th place.

There’s been a pandemic since now and then, and yet somehow Sportico has the team worth over $300 million more than before.

Sportico projects the Golden Knights to make $186 million in revenue this year, which is surprisingly only good enough for 16th place in the NHL. Last year Vegas came in with $89 million during the challenging 2020-21 COVID-affected season. That was 4th in the league, likely boosted by the ability to fill their building with fans much earlier than most other teams.

The total $890 million number is made up of the team value which is listed at $835 million and “team-related businesses and real estate” which is valued at $56 million.

The NHL’s newest team, the Seattle Kraken, come in two spots behind the Golden Knights at $860 million, but their team value is actually higher than VGK, also listed at $860 million.

Nonetheless, any investment that goes up 78% in five years would be considered a good one. Maybe, just maybe, this Foley guy knows what he’s doing with his money.

**The full feature article from Sportico is behind a paywall, but their infographic is free and it’s awesome.**

Goalie Interference – Episode 1

By Ken Boehlke

On October 13, 2021

In Podcast

On the first episode of our new weekly show featuring former VGK TV analyst and NHL goalie Mike McKenna, we go over the season opener against the Kraken, discuss the Golden Knights’ frustrations over Morgan Geekie’s celebration, look into the cap gymnastics, and much more. As always, the show airs live at 7 PM every Wednesday.

Audio Only

System Tweak May Change The Style Of Game Golden Knights Are Used To Seeing

By Ken Boehlke

On October 13, 2021

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: Ken Boehlke, SinBin.vegas)

If you watched last night’s season opener between the Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken you probably noticed a bit more of a wide-open game than we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in Vegas since Pete DeBoer took over.

At first blush, most of the credit for that would seem to belong to the expansion team, coming in with a highly aggressive style in all three zones, one that both caused them to fall into a 3-0 hole but also climb out of it. But, a tweak to the Golden Knights system may have played as big a role in the look and feel of that game as well.

If there’s one thing the Golden Knights know they must do this season, it’s learn how to generate more offense than they have when the going gets tough in the playoffs. It was going to take some soul searching, some creativity, and a willingness to try something new.

This has been a historically great rush team. We all know rush dries up in the playoffs, everybody is more diligent in their checking. So, how do you create more rush? -Pete DeBoer

The answer the Golden Knights came up with is what Alex Pietrangelo dubbed a “new neutral zone.” It’s a systematic tweak Pete DeBoer and his coaching staff have implemented into the Golden Knights forecheck as the opposing team exits their own zone and makes their way through the neutral zone.

We’ll get into the X’s and O’s of it as the season progresses, but the simple way to describe the difference is in the Golden Knights’ increased willingness to try and jump passing lanes and/or hound the player receiving the first pass.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4 SEATTLE KRAKEN 3 (1-0-0 2 PTS)

By Ken Boehlke

On October 12, 2021

In Game Recaps

Recap: The Golden Knights hosted the expansion Seattle Kraken for the start of the 2021-22 season. Vegas jumped on Seattle early in the opening period. Max Pacioretty scored the season’s first goal 3:10 in and Jonathan Marchessault added one a few minutes later. Goaltender Robin Lehner stopped all nine shots he faced in the first period.

Pacioretty tipped in a Nic Hague laser in the middle period giving the home squad a commanding 3-0 lead. However, Seattle woke up and scored two goals in 1:12 to get within one. After 40 minutes of play the Golden Knights held a 3-2 advantage.

Seattle surprisingly climbed all the way back to tie the game 3-3 in the third period but Vegas would catch a break to regain the lead. Chandler Stephenson legally deflected a puck into the Krakens net off his skate making it a 4-3 contest.

The Golden Knights win their first game of the 2021-22 season 4-3 over the expansion Seattle Kraken. Vegas will head to LA for their first road game of the season on Thursday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 PM. (Recap by Jason)

Analysis: The Golden Knights were in for quite a fight taking on the expansion team in their first game. They hung in there as the Kraken came out flying and waited for their chances. When they came, VGK buried three of them. Then, as Seattle stormed back, Vegas stayed under control, kept their heads and found a way to get the lead right back. That’s an experienced great hockey team beating an inexperienced one. (Recap by Ken)

Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs. Seattle Kraken game at T-Mobile Arena.

5 Bold And 5 Not-So-Bold Predictions About The 2021-22 Vegas Golden Knights Season

By Ken Boehlke

On October 11, 2021

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

It’s finally here… tomorrow.

The preseason is over and the Golden Knights are ready to embark on their fifth NHL season. Expectations are understandably very high both from a team perspective and for a multitude of individuals.

Here are 10 predictions for the upcoming season. We’ll start with the milder five.

The Golden Knights will be the only Pacific Division team to reach 100 points

There are a few other teams in the division who I expect to be a little bit better, but the full 82-game schedule will really show the weakness of the Pacific. The division will struggle mightily against the Eastern Conference and it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see both Western Conference wild cards come from the Central.

Max Pacioretty will lead the team in goals for a third straight year

While I expect a number of Golden Knights to take a step forward in some of their goal-scoring numbers, the 35-40 you can basically slot Pacioretty in for is just too many to expect any other Golden Knight to reach. Maybe Jonathan Marchessault or Evgenii Dadonov can hit 30, or maybe this is an up year for pending UFA Reilly Smith, or maybe even we see the return of William Karlsson’s goal-scoring prowess. But, no matter which one happens, I still can’t see them getting past Pacioretty.

Three Golden Knights will represent Vegas as the city hosts the All Star Game

It’s tough to get three All Stars on the same team, because it basically means only one other team in the division can have multiple players from the same roster. But, the host city has had at least three players each of the last five seasons, and the Golden Knights have enough star power to keep that streak alive.

SinBin.vegas

Praise Be To Foley, Vegas Golden Knights Hockey Website

Author: Ken Boehlke Page 2 of 246

Golden Knights In Unfamiliar Position On The Outside Looking In

DeBoer Finds Positives As Injuries Mount

Assessing VGK’s Options Without Mark Stone And Max Pacioretty

Twitter Space – October 15th, 2021

LOS ANGELES KINGS 6 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2 (1-1-0 2 PTS)

Value Of Golden Knights Franchise Up 78% From Purchase Price, Ranked 12th In NHL

Goalie Interference – Episode 1

System Tweak May Change The Style Of Game Golden Knights Are Used To Seeing

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4 SEATTLE KRAKEN 3 (1-0-0 2 PTS)

5 Bold And 5 Not-So-Bold Predictions About The 2021-22 Vegas Golden Knights Season

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