The Golden Knights have spent a lot of time, money, and assets rebuilding their defense after a career-ending injury to Alex Pietrangelo.
Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb have been asked to step into the first pair role. VGK spent major assets to bring in Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson. They swapped Nic Hague out for Jeremy Lauzon and have tasked Kaedan Korczak to fill Zach Whitecloud’s shoes.
It hasn’t gone as swimmingly as the Golden Knights would have hoped, but it certainly has not been bad. VGK currently rank 3rd in shots allowed per game, yet sit in 19th in goals against. Some of the blame, maybe most, lies at the feet of the goaltending, however, the new-look defense have had some issues themselves.
A specific issue they’ve struggled with recently cropped up once again last night against the Wild as they allowed three goals in a little more than three minutes.
The first one’s a tough one. There’s miscommunication, they get a breakaway, and they score. Not the end of the world, we’re playing fine. But the next two we had pucks below the goal line to break out. We didn’t execute. That was a big problem all night. Big problem. -Bruce Cassidy
Teams have found a weak spot below the goal line in VGK’s defense. Many of the better offensive teams have forced the Golden Knights to turn the puck over behind the net, then quickly convert it into chances that are very difficult for a goaltender.
Cassidy says the defensemen have to do a better job of protecting the puck a bit longer in order to allow the forwards to assist in the breakouts. When the puck goes below the goal line, VGK’s system calls for the center to head to the front of the goal while the wingers are expected to sag inside circles. The coverage takes away all options for the attacking team. But, when VGK get the puck deep in the zone, it takes a moment for the forwards to reposition themselves to become outlets. On both breakouts that failed last night, the defensemen turned the puck over before that happened.
We got a veteran D-Core. They have to demand a little more of themselves in those situations. They’ve all been in the league. They can play the game. They have composure there. And you know that that’s how it got away from us tonight. -Cassidy
63 games into the season, the problem is getting worse, not better, and unfortunately, there’s not a lot a coach can do other than keep harping on it verbally.
It’s really hard to replicate a heavy forcheck in practice. That’s just something we have to be better at. These teams will start throwing it below the goal line. Minnesota did that to us last year in the playoffs. Had a level of success. We’ll have to deal with it if we expect to beat those types of teams. We just got to be better at it. -Cassidy
The next two opponents, Edmonton and Dallas, are both excellent at generating offense from below the goal line. Cassidy has challenged his defensemen to step up and meet the challenge; now it’s up to them to go out and do it.
Alan Ringhofer
If you keep doing what you’ve always done you’ll keep getting what you always got!
How long do you wait for improvement before bringing up someone from the Silver Knights?
Tim
Playing from behind every game gets old. These season will be over shortly and this summer they’ve got to revamp this team. No chemistry does the coach go or a couple of players or more then a couple of players who are under under performing emphasis on the under. What a disappointing year obviously our stars aren’t as good as other teams stars.
hdbiker7851
Interesting as it addresses the observations seen from the stands – that begs the question are these guys either slow learners or have they ever played together previously as they looked lost at times. It is hard to understand why a great deal of the time the opposition is in front of our goalie between the goalie and defenseman if the defenseman is even around. The opposition appears to have free reign. We seldom see that at the other end as our front net presence is essentially non-existence. They certainly don’t function like a well-oiled machine. It has to be very frustrating for Cassidy to keep harping what’s necessary and which I would think they would know after 60 plus games. The FO certainly hasn’t improved the team as demonstrated by their performance. The schedule doesn’t provide much room for their current performance to continue. Maybe Edmonton will do them a favor and let them win tomorrow evening. LOL
Canada
First congrats to the US and their gold medal . We are still lickin our wounds . However we won in Curling lol also a great drinking sport. Went to the game last night . I thought they played ok other than those ugly 5 minutes in the second . Further to Cassidys coments the defense was bad. HANIFIN drives me nuts . He is a poser , I have watched him screen the goalie in each of the last three games all three we were scored on. He makes like he is going to block a shot and then let’s the puck wiz by him . Goalie had no chance . He is a serious problem as Cassidy has to rely on him as he has a short d bench. Move him to forward where he can’t hurt us as much . He would be much happier .
Larry
Regardless to the Gold Medal, I’m not sure how Hanifin is among the top 7 USA defenseman, of course I also can’t figure out why Caufield Roberson and others weren’t selected either but that’s water under the winning bridge, also don’t know why Hanifin had to be signed long term for that money, and now Andersson….well I don’t want to ruin my shire excursion thinking about that subject and player lol.
I just hope VGK comes to play tonight and shut up those $&&$) oiler fans that will make up 50% of the crowd tonight.
Larry
•shore
DruBlu
I was hoping you actually meant that, when you said, “I don’t want to ruin my SHIRE excursion”. I thought maybe you were a hobbit, heading out on an adventure! Oh, well.
So, are you saying you’re on an excursion to become Shoresy? Equally as exciting. ;)
Larry
That would be on a shore excursion from a cruise ship in the Caribbean , for further clarification.
vgk21
oh yes there is something he can do about it.
He can BENCH the player who does not heed his instructions.
iow, if the dman is at fault, then bench him for a couple shifts until he gets the message. Same thing for a winger who is not in position for the outlet pass from the dman.
one thing the coach does control is ice time. as long as he informs the players ahead of time about the new rules, then they cannot act surprised or upset about getting benched.
too often we see the dmen of the Vgk just throw the puck around the boards, instead of making a nice direct saucer pass land right on the tape of the winger’s stick.
Larry
I just read all the twitter comments on Sinbin regarding Smith/Saad, while I’m not a huge proponent of Smith, what in the world would continue to possess Cassidy to keep putting Saad in the lineup anywhere?
Even if he should in the unlikeliest of scenarios score 2 goals tonight, it is simply not the right decision to have been made.
knights fan in minny
Does Saad have Pictures
Vic
Saad in the running for ‘NHL Most Invisible’.
Watching Isles/Sharks last night we can only dream about what it would be like to have goalies like that.
Watching Avs/Wild today it’s easy to see two teams in playoff mode. Our team can only dream about being in that mode.
What needs to be done, or else? Every player needs to play as if their career is at stake every game. Goalies need to give up 0-1-2 goals and no more day in and day out.
vgk21
Vgk should have traded those picks to Minn for Wallstedt, who is a good young goalie, instead of giving them to Calgary for Andersson.
knights fan in minny
The Wild don’t want pics they wanted a center
vgk21
Wild could have packaged the picks to another team for a center.
vgk21
Howden replaces Reilly Smith, not SAAD.
apparently Saad does have pics
and Stone is still not skating, and is questionable for Dallas.
knights fan in minny
I was just wondering that where the hell is Smith He creates more offense Then eight point saad