(Photo Credit: Ken Boehlke, SinBin.vegas)
The key battleground coming in this Stanley Cup Final was the war between each team’s strong relentless forecheck and the opposing breakout. The team that was more successful winning the clashes in each zone would not only generate the majority of dangerous scoring chances but also control the flow of the game.
Through two games, the battles in both attacking zones have been a landslide in favor of the Golden Knights.
Vegas has consistently broken the pressure of the Panthers which has allowed them persistent exits, many of which are controlled. On the other end of the ice, the Golden Knights’ forecheck has caused issues for Florida leading to lots of dump, chip, and rim outs, all of which have helped to feed the VGK transition game.
Typically, the credit for the forecheck goes to the forwards while that of the breakouts goes to the defense. In the case of the Golden Knights, veteran defenseman Alec Martinez believes most of the praise on both ends goes to the Vegas front line.
As a defense group we’re doing a pretty good job of getting it to the forwards in good positions but even though we try to get it to them in those spots it doesn’t always happen. The forwards have done a really good job of making plays on the wall. That’s probably one of the most difficult situations to be in during a game of hockey. You get a bouncing puck or one that’s rimmed around and those can be the difference in a hockey game and our forwards are doing a really good job with those. -Martinez
He continued with appreciation for his teammates for their work on the other end of the ice.
The way that our forwards backcheck and reload, that allows us to stay up. Often times when the D have good gaps it’s because the forwards are working back and kind of squeezing them along the blue lines or in the neutral zone. While I’d like to take credit as a D corps, it’s truly a five-man connected unit, it’s a team game, and those forwards allow us to keep some of those plays in and be aggressive too. -Martinez
A couple of wins away from his third trip to the mountaintop, there aren’t many better in the league than Martinez at understanding what must happen for a successful forecheck or breakout.
The Golden Knights are delivering it in the defensive zone and bringing the heat in the attacking zone and the Game 2 goal scorer has taken notice.
As the series shifts to Florida with the Panthers in dire straights, the intensity on both ends is likely to ramp up. Vegas has followed the roadmap so far and if they can withstand the added heat the Panthers bring at home, they’ll likely be bringing a 35-pound silver alloy friend back on the plane with them.
THE hockey GOD
the cats need to be exterminated, half way there
“Whoa, we’re half way there
Whoa oh, livin’ on a prayer
Take my hand, we’ll make it, I swear
Whoa oh, livin’ on a prayer”
THE hockey GOD
rat cats that is
they don’t have grinders on their team
they don’t have muckers on their team
they have scrumbags
scrum as is scum bag hockey. Gudas is leader of their scrum.
David Thew
And as for their dirty Panthers player… Wanted, dead or alive…
TS
I think he( Gudas) is gonna be a little foggy for awhile….I’m no Einstein, but I’m guessing he’s done this season…
David Thew
Gudas will play game 3. But the player I was referring to was Tkachuk. Cheap shot artist. But that has always been his forte.
TS
Aha. So Gudas is a GO? He sure looked like he got a concussion, surprised at that news…
Jailbird
I think, to their detriment , the kitties will come out aggressive and dirty in front of their fans. They may try to show just how tuff they are, rather than actually playing good hockey. Our boys have put up with a lot of abuse and kept their cool. Just playing great hockey. Love to see us take two in Florida, but a split is mandatory!
knights fan in minny
anything into no practice for wild bill
David Thew
He was just feeling a little under the weather. Cassidy said he will be fine at gametime.
knights fan in minny
good to here wild bill playing fantastic
David Thew
Yeah, as is the other 5 remaining players from Season 1. They have unfinished business and a chip on their shoulders.
THE hockey GOD
day to day, illness
my friend
David Thew
Nah, not mandatory. Let’s just break out the brooms and sweep them.
hdbiker7851
The sooner the Panthers are put out of their misery the better. There is zero value in letting them get up – crush them while you have the chance. We don’t need a repeat of the Dallas series letting the opponents off the ropes. While it made no difference in the end against Dallas Vegas just as well needs to end it starting tomorrow night.
David Thew
The Knights allowed the Stars to stay in the game by biting into the fights and making undisciplined decisions, allowing Dallas to have Power Plays. Knights are staying disciplined this time around.
THE hockey GOD
these guys are all wearing golden knight’s jackets
THE hockey GOD
game three is critical, usually whoever wins game three takes the series.
The cats will be coming out strong in period one and VGK must be ready for physical hitting and aggressive forechecking.
VGK must weather the storm. REmember the CATS were down 3 to 1 against the Bruins and won that series.
Arnold the brain
Arnold Rothstein
The hockey pundits rarely talk about the evolution of a hockey winning team into a championship team. Oh they like to talk about stats, and team heroes, star players, story of the day, hero of the day. The subject of how a team becomes a real championship team is not discussed much because the history of the writers is not there. You have to go back decades and examine how a team reaches the next level. The VGK are at the cusp, and at critical junction now. The team can do it this year, or fail. Then come back again next year to try again, or never reach the finals for years.
Examining some of the great teams of the past shows some insight. From the Flyers, Bruins, Canadians of the 70s. To the Oilers/ Islanders of 80s. To the Red Wings of 90s, to the Black Hawks/Kings / Lightning of recent years. EVen the Soviet Red Army/ Team Canada summit series of the 70s has same elements. You had a winning RED ARM TEAM (World / olympics champions) versus upstart Team Canada all star players thrown together. They all have same common denominator. They all faced and overcame diversity, severe dire consequences in reaching their ultimate goal. Other winning teams failed to overcome this, and never were seen again.
An in depth study of how these teams became winners and when the team KNEW they were going to win is part of the psyche of overcoming the hurtle. Teams must gel, they must come together at key point in time. They gain the confidence and nothing will deter them.
The question is now for VGK have they reached that moment in time, or are their more hurtles to over come. We will know in the next few days.
Stay tuned
same bat time
same bat channel.
Arnold the Brain
Donald J Trump
adversity
brain god
Arnold Rothstein
Why the RAT CATS are not like the Big Bad Bruins or the Broad STreet bullies.
Is very simple the Don Cherry and Fred Shiro teams were well coached in art of intimidation by fighting ! These coaches did not instill the intent into their players to deliberately go out and maim to hurt other players. They typically fought the other teams tough guys. The only exception was Bobby Clarke, who by today’s standards is smaller type of player when he deliberately two armed slashed Valeri Borisovich Kharlamov breaking both of his ankles with one fell blow. One would say that bullies were a dirty team. But compared to current rat cat style of play they are not.
This is on the rat cat’s coach for instilling this style of play, and on Bettman’s NHL to let it stand. To encourage , by ignoring, these tactics at expense of fast skating, skilled players , with good clean checks says a lot about how the NHL views it’s game. Will the NHL and Refs step out to stamp out this pathetic style of play or will they bow down to the rat cats? Time will tell. I say the rat cats will prevail and rest of hockey world will say shame, shame, shame.
ThG
TS
AGREED, 100%— Imagine THAT??
Lori Thomsen
That’s mostly true. You’re right. Hockey has always been a good fight on the ice. Mostly fun to watch, sometimes hard to watch. Seems the coaches will do whatever it takes for their team to win. Otherwise, the coach is fired. BUT, when Mr. Foley built our team, I believe he wanted different values instilled in the entire team. He wants wins for sure, but he built a band of brothers ❤️ that seem to embrace his philosophies. They are a different kind of team. I think that is why everyone underestimates them. They ignore most of the trash and play the game they love. So far, it’s taken them pretty far every season. It has made an intire City and beyond, so proud to be their fans! I know I am.
Lori Thomsen
All I can say is this. Our Vegas Golden Knights went to a fight and a hockey game broke out! They play so well and almost all the time, so disciplined, and it’s great to watch. They always ignore the other teams trash talk and play their game, and win. We were 2 games ahead going into the game tonight, they have a little room to kick the shit out of the Panthers, have some fun, get some revenge, it was beautiful to watch and fun. They HAD TO LOSE ONE GAME, because when they/we win The Stanley Cup, and we will, WE ARE GOING TO DO IT IN OUR FORTRESS❤️❤️. They won’t be BRINGING the CUP home, it will be given to them here, in their HOMETOWN! This is always how it was meant to be. It has to happen here. It’s going to happen here! Some of us lucky, loyal fans will see it happen in OUR house ❤️. That, I believe, is the big picture