Last night’s Game 1 victory over the Minnesota Wild was arguably the most entertaining Golden Knights game in months. The high-stakes affair was clean, competitive, and extremely exciting. Each club defended well, received strong goaltending, and applied pressure. Unsurprisingly, after 60 minutes, Vegas came away with another series-opening victory.
It was VGK’s 5th straight series in which they captured Game 1. The last time the Golden Knights lost a series opener was the first round in the 2023 playoffs against Winnipeg. It’s a testament to how well-prepared Vegas is to start each series.
I thought we got to our game fairly quickly. We haven’t started great here but we usually get better as the game goes on. I think that happened, a lot of positives in that way. -Bruce Cassidy
There’s no secret formula for their success, the Golden Knights simply impose their style of play on the opposition. It took some settling in, but eventually Vegas capitalized on the Wild’s loose coverage and clumsy turnovers.
Sure, Minnesota had a strong game plan, but their downfall began when Vegas first took advantage of opportunities, as they have all season. It took 33 minutes for either team to commit a penalty. The Golden Knights were sent to the power play first. It only took six seconds for Vegas to seize the moment and score their first man-advantage game of the evening. Several moments throughout the contest, the Golden Knights experience, patience, and skill overwhelm the 7th-seeded Wild. For example, they forced a rookie to make a crucial mistake with time winding down.
I don’t t know who picked it off but that’s a good read. I did my best to try and freeze him and slide over. It’s tough. You can’t sit here and think on it. You’ve got to move on to the next play. -Zeev Buium, MIN defenseman
A major factor in Vegas’ playoff consistency is the head coach. Cassidy’s clubs are known for quick starts in the regular season and the postseason. As a head coach, Cassidy is 14-4 in Game 1 of a playoff series. His preparation has paid off and put his players in position to succeed.
Lastly, the Golden Knights took care of business at home. They were tough to defeat on home ice all season, which earned them the advantage in the postseason. Vegas promptly took control of the situation they put themselves in with a 4-2 victory.
Last night, Cassidy’s players created their own fortune like the 2023 Stanley Cup championship team did. Taking series leads, winning at home, and cashing in on power play opportunities paved the way to success two years ago. It paid off with a Cup, a parade, and a championship ring designed by a high-end Beverly Hills jeweler. Keep up what happened last night, and it might all happen again.
Jeff
The Kings are going to be tough to get by. Then Winnipeg. The road is pretty tough.
Robert Twidwell
The road is tough for everyone.
NAM
You know I remember thinking the same thing during the cup year. EDM was a juggernaut and Dallas was really good and VGK had lost to them all 3 games that season. Hell I even thought WPG was going to be a push over and then WPG won the first game kind of convincingly and I thought we are screwed. They beat WPG and went on to hard fight EDM and DAL. Yeah man, it is one of those things. You have to play the games and the best team usually wins. Plus maybe equally important, you have to have some luck. Luck to stay healthy, luck to make some shots or get some calls etc. The road is pretty tough indeed.
JB
Yea, it’s the playoffs, it isn’t supposed to be easy!
knights fan in minny
fun game felt like 2023 again hilly was good what can you say about big and strong Hertl nice steal from Faber great shot for the goal dorfy was strong on the puck all night the bright playoff lights did not affect dorfy loved the physical play from cloudy howdy was great nice weapon to have on the 4th line
NAM
Hertl’s goal was sick!! Takes it from the defender and then puts it in a hole, top shelf, not much bigger than the puck itself. It was truly beautiful!
knights fan in minny
yes it was
Pistol Pete
McCrimmon sees the additional purpose in acquiring players with playoffs experience.
Tomas Hertl career playoffs (70 games):
70GP-26G-19A-45P (+4)
https://www.nhl.com/goldenknights/player/tomas-hertl-8476881
Brandon Saad career playoffs (104 games):
104 GP-27G-29A-56P (+18)
https://www.nhl.com/goldenknights/player/brandon-saad-8476438
ThG
the best part of game was seeing the fans behind our goalie , four of them, each with a letter on their front shirt that spelled out H-I-L- L .
I wonder how much pedro is paying them under the table to wear those shirts?
knights fan in minny
happened in 2023 at least the 2 clowns wearing raider sweatshirt’s are not their
Pistol Pete
The way Howden has elevated his game this year bringing a scoring punch is just perfect for the heavy Roy line. Won’t find a stronger fourth line in the league.
knights fan in minny
you are so right
Jeff
Yea we win this series with lines 3 and 4 for sure.
Pistol Pete
Olofsson is our smallest forward (5’11” 180) but he forechecks and is gritty. Excellent skater with a very good shot. Is a respectable career .57 pts/game not all that far behind his linemates and is actually statistically a slighter higher goal score than either. One area he lags far behind either is offensive production in the playoffs but he has played but one game to their dozens upon dozens. Think he’s a good fit on this our lightest but high finesse line. Don’t see him getting scratched for Pearson but if he can’t keep up with Karlsson and Smith in the playoffs it could happen but I think he’ll start getting points in these playoffs.
Pearson career playoffs:
51 GP—9 G—13 A (22 pts) +4
Pearson is 6’1” 207 (career .43 pts/game)
ThG
knights fan in minny
get a load of this THG 1of tampon timmys staffers caught on tape damaging Tesla’s
TS
Get a load of THIS: Hegseth is at it again, using UNSECURE Signal.to share attack.plans, this time Yemen! He shared the Yemen plans with his Wife, his father- in- law, his Gardener and the Dog Walker!! He’s a FOX talking head, for crying out loud– what could possibly go WRONG in the largest and most important FED Dept??? But hey, only Trump can FIX it…
Right after he BREAKS it.
Donald J Trump
You are asking the wrong question, what is wrong with people who believe fake news?
The intelligence chief repeatedly said the SNAP calls contained no classified information. Yet the gullible clowns and creeps out there believe whatever the fake media feeds them.
Plague infested brains.
TS
Free speech tells ME i have the same rights as you. You understand that Free Speech Thing, right?? Since you constantly use YOURS, and all. This is a PUBLUC forum, moron
.i can call.out your MAGA BS, just like YOU blast the ” OTHERS”, incl me. Shut your piehole!
ThG
KFIM was replying to me, not you. Mind your own beeswax, left wing wife beating , illegal alien , gang banger, supporter slum bag.
TS
Wife- beaters? Yeah, i beat my imaginary ” wife”. I’m.a straight woman, moron! Are you as dumb as you always sound?? You’re really good at accusing others of nasty, libelous shit, but can’t take the heat!! So typical of Man- child Bullies, dishing it out, but whining like a baby if we call out YOUR BS. GROW UP and take it like a REAL MAN!
Pistol Pete
Kind of a sloppy game one in LA don’t we think? Hard to believe it’s 5-3 LA with two minutes left and EDM ties it then LA wins it in regulation with 43 seconds remaining.
Stars come from behind to win in OT.
Caps win in OT with Ovi scoring twice including the winner.
Jets go up 2-0.
Pistol Pete
I would say both Hertl (70 games: 26G/19A/+4) and Saad (104 games: 27G/29A/+18) having deep playoffs experience was a sort of bonus for McCrimmon in signing both. Saad has won two Cups to none for the extra hungry Hertl. Saad I would say is very hungry as well. Not only has it been a long time since but he has a lot to prove in walking away from over $5m in salary and try and get extended here.
Pistol Pete
Confident we see production from Olofsson on the Karlsson line. Our smallest forward but he has the tools and all the more playing with those two and their playoffs history.
Larry
Still believe Howden should be playing with Karlsson and Smith and Pearson with Roy and Kolessar…makes way more sense to me.
Pistol Pete
That could happen but during the regular season Cassidy indicated he liked Olofsson-Karlsson-Smith. Howden brings more scoring punch than Pearson to the fourth line which could prove critical. Howden and Roy has significant offensive upside for a hard checking bottom line.It’s not worth moving Howden up he’s too valuable with Roy. I believe Olofsson will prove out on the Karlsson line. Pearson is the backup in case of injury. I don’t see Olofsson getting scratched for him just to move Howden up.
Pistol Pete
Olofsson played 11 of the 12 regular season games since Karlsson returned from injury. Not sure how many of those he played with Karlsson-Smith but he went 4G/3A. Cassidy likes Olofsson-Karlsson-Smith which means so do I!
Pearson those 12 games after Karlsson returned he went 1G/2A. Howden a way better bet on the fourth line.
Pistol Pete
Sorry about the duplicative nature of the preceding two posts. There was a moderator several hours delay in posting the original versions above.
Donald J Trump
BREAKING
The Democratic party officially changed it’s name to party of WIFE BEATERS, TRANS, pERVERTS, ILleGAL ALIENS And ROGUE JUDGES.
It’s official.
TS
You’re a treasonous idiot, and you’re screwing America!! The entire World now hates us as much as we hate YOU! Our country is on the edge of financial meltdown, fucker!!
ThG
neofascist scumbag dems
https://x.com/OutLikeA_Lamb/status/1914379077940810038
The hockey God
breaking AP and liberal hypocrisy abounds!!
today’s LVRJ
“Pope leaves a legacy of inclusion”
“alienated conservatives”
you folks can’t have it both ways, morons !