Over the course of an 82 game season, special teams will be the determining factor in a fairly large number of games. Of the 225 regular season games in franchise history, only 71, or 32%, have seen no power play goals scored by either team. In other words, in two out of every three games, special teams will change the final score by at least one goal, usually more like two or three.
It gets even more important in the playoffs as just eight of the Golden Knights 27 playoff games have been goalless from the power plays. (And we all remember how last season ended.)
So, to see the Golden Knights operating at just 19% on the power play and killing at just 76%, both below league average, under DeBoer, there would be an expectation of a bit of concern from the head coach.
I haven’t spent as much time on the power play. I mean I know it got cold there the first seven or eight games I was here. I think we only got one or two but I think long term and the history of the power play here it’s been pretty good so my concern level isn’t high there. -DeBoer
The Golden Knights put up four power play goals in five opportunities against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, but if you throw those out, they’ve hit on just three of 31 since DeBoer took the job. That’s an 11 game span in which they are scoring at under 10%. The NHL’s worst power play team in 2019-20 is Chicago at 14%.
I thought we got back to some foundation of what it should look like the other night (against St. Louis) and we got rewarded for that.
Vegas finished last season just a shade below 17%, which saw them in 25th place at the end of the regular season. They were much better in Year 1 at 21%, but still barely ranked in the top 10. Over the course of the franchise’s history, they haven’t exactly been a juggernaut and with DeBoer they’ve struck in just four of his 12 games.
Maybe DeBoer’s memory is a bit clouded by how well the Golden Knights have done against the Sharks. In last year’s playoffs Vegas scored on eight of 29 (28%), they hit on four of 17 (24%) in the regular season, and were 3 for 15 (20%) in the 17-18 regular season and six for 28 (21%) in the 2018 playoffs. That’s 21 for 89, or 24%, historically against the Sharks. That’d be good for 6th place in the NHL right now. Instead, their 19% under DeBoer would have them in 20th place.
His concern has been with the penalty kill, which was struggling mightily in Gerard Gallant’s final few games.
The penalty kill has been a little bit of a different story. We’ve spent more time on it. And I know we’ve given up some recently but I like the structure and the foundation that we are playing with. Some of it has been some bad bounces and seeing-eye pucks but I like where it’s going despite the fact it’s giving up a few goals. -DeBoer
I have to admit, hearing DeBoer mention “some bad bounces” and “seeing-eye pucks” about a penalty kill nearly made me vomit in the press conference room remembering Game 7.
Nonetheless, he has made significant changes to the style at which the penalty kill plays. It’s much more aggressive (we detailed it early in his tenure), but to this point, the results haven’t always been there.
Vegas is killing at 76% since DeBoer took over and have conceded a power play goal in six of his 11 games and four of the last six.
They’ve had some terrific penalty kills (see last night) and they’ve also had some disastrous ones (see the game in Carolina). It is a radical shift in system, so it does deserve more than 12 games to fully judge, but the consistency simply isn’t there to this point.
No concern yet, but if the Golden Knights want to make waves come April, they are going to need to operate at much better than 19 and 76 percent.
DOC Williams
OK, thanks for MORE stats Ken. How about TRADE thoughts? Trade Whitecloud & Glass for D-man & Goalie help, NOW!!!!!! What ya think about THAT!!!! 🙂 They should get Dillon. He’s a tuff solid guy! Get Lehner as 2nd goalie!!! Huh, HUH? Just DO SOMETHING!!!!!!! (We can still be a force THIS season with just a couple pieces)
trades
Dillon was just traded to Wash for a 2nd and a 3rd
my guess is that they trade for Alec Martinez of the LA Kings
Tim
Whitecloud is a keeper he plays a headsup game with composure. Next year Whitecloud and Hague will pair up. With our third line not scoring much and with all the picks we have it wouldn’t surprise me if we jumped on Chris Krieter third line winger and Alec Martinez to bolster our defense. We just don’t get much from that line.
DOC Williams
Well … There goes Dillon! The Caps just grabbed him!!!!!! We’ll just continue to sit on our asses until no one is left??????
Tim
Boo Woo
Trades
Bob McKenzie is reporting that the VGK have made a pending deal with LA for dman Alec Martinez. The deal will be announced tomorrow. The Kings will likely get 2 second round picks
The Knights have 5 second round picks in the next 2 drafts.
Tim
Yes done deal for Alec Martinez doesn’t score much hope he plays good defense. It was him or Dillon and the Cap’s got Dillion and we got Martinez who has another year on his contract. George and Kelly know what their doing so I trust them. I hope Whitecloud stays up and D.E. retires gracefully.
Trades
Martinez is a good puck moving dman. He did score a lot, and was on the point for the LA power play, but not much in the last couple years
He has scored 62 goals, 136 assists, 198 pts, 12 GWG, and a plus 23 for his career.
He is versatile in that he plays in all situations, blocks shots , plays the PK, and also plays either the right or left side. He scored the OT stanley cup winning goal in 2014 . His playoff experience and success are likely prime reasons that the VGK want him.
The caveat is that he is 32 and on the downside of his career. He has one more year on his contract.
Trades
in 64 playoff games he has 6 goals, 10 assts, 2 PP goals, and 4 game winning goals , and 2 Stanley cups.
Tim
I’m having my doubts about Alec Martinez the more I read the more I’m not crazy about the trade. 2 second round picks for a D-Man who’s not who he used to be. This is shaping up to be another Thomas Tatar disaster we gave up a lot in that deal and here we go again. I’d trade Reeves and Eakin now and jump in the Chris Krieter sweepstakes only if we could sign him for 3 more years.
Trades
I don’t see why the Knights are so leery of UFA rentals… you get a few months, and 20 games, and a playoff run, to see if the guy is a good fit for your team. if he is not, then let him walk in the summer and no big loss, other than a draft pick.
But trading for a guy on a contract costs too much to see if he fits in. (i.e. 2 seconds for a declining 32 year old dman, or a 1st 2nd and 3rd for Tatar who was a bad fit from the beginning, as has already happened)