(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)
Most NHL defensemen are handed assignments on which opposing player they’ll need to shadow before each game. On a nightly basis, Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is tasked with defending stars, All-Stars, and even future Hall of Famers. On Thursday in San Jose, top defensive prospect Henry Thrun was given the challenge of covering Vegas’ superstar Jack Eichel.
His game transfers and it continued to transfer tonight. All of the things he was good at Harvard, he was good at here. He’s just got a real swagger to his game and he’s confident, and comfortable. He’s out there defending Jack Eichel and doing a good job. He got tested tonight, and he answered the bell. -David Quinn, SJ coach
On a nightly basis, Eichel can create problems for any team, especially a team with 42 fewer points than them. However, no matter how experienced or sought-after a defenseman is, VGK’s top center will need to be more of a factor. Against the Sharks, Eichel skated 21:40 minutes, had a secondary assist on the power play, was 33% from the dot, and was limited to one shot on net. A repeat performance on Thursday will not cut it against top pair d-men in the postseason. It’ll be even more of a problem without the security of captain Mark Stone for the early stages of the 2023 NHL playoffs.
Maybe Eichel and the Golden Knights were victims of their own success on Thursday night after finding out they were the first team to clinch a Western Conference playoff spot. It’s natural to relax and play down to the competition after reaching one of their season-long achievements. Tonight, against the red-hot Wild is not time for positive reflection.
Minnesota is the hottest team in the league and are looking to challenge the Golden Knights for the best record in the Western Conference. A stumble, or even worse, back-to-back stumbles against the Central Division leader would seriously endanger VGK’s desire of home-ice advantage throughout the Western Conference bracket. Strong performances from Eichel would help the Golden Knights feel even more confident heading into their opening-round series.
The most important part is we get our game in order. We’ve seen the last two games. We haven’t been ourselves for good pockets of the game. So, let’s revisit the areas why we’re not there. We want to win whatever is in front of us, which happens to be Minnesota. We want to win the division, but we do have to get our game in order. -Bruce Cassidy
Vegas’ head coach has shown concerns with how his club is currently playing. Cassidy stated his lineup has been in a “minor funk” but they can play out of it with strong efforts against Minnesota, Nashville, LA, Dallas, and Seattle. Getting the most out of Eichel down the stretch would solve the funk problem VGK’s coach mentioned yesterday.
The final seven games will start to tell the story of what may happen with the first seven of the postseason.
Jailbird
We need to get Theo, William C, Smith and LT back, to make this team whole again. Stone would be a big bonus, but not counting on that. I would put Blueger back in and sit Kolasar and/or Cotter?
George L.
Eichel is a waste of money. Period. He’s supposed to be a great asset. Yes, he has points. But then he just disappears. He has points against chumps. Then simply vanishes or makes horrible on ice decisions.
For $10 million I’d like some consistency.
A former season ticket holder
My concern for Eichel is that hes the opposite of Stone when he scores the goal …. he usually has this frown on his face like hes so sorry hes scored it against the other team we need some enthusiasm like Stone nothing faked just genuine
Henderson One
A let down after they made the playoffs? Bull. The culture of this team is a Country Club one. They play when they feel like it and take the night off when they feel like it. No coach has changed this culture. Fans have already begun to desert this team. Note the team does not announce how season ticket sales are going.
Connie
I’m sorry to disagree with former season ticket holder, I think Eichel usually shows enthusiasm and happiness when he’s scored, especially when he does it on his own without any assists.. I agree that he doesn’t usually do it on the level that Stone does, but they are two different personalities, at least that’s my observation, not having met either of them. Anyway, I think there’s a lot more to worry about than Eichel’s lack of enthusiasm, and that’s a lack of goals for one. I would have liked to have seen him play in the early days of Buffalo, and compare it with his performance now. ( Actually that’s for someone else to do, I’ve only become a hockey fan for about two years now, and basically do not know what the heck I’m talking about, I can’t even keep up with the puck!) (My favorite player is MAF, when he left I dumped watching the games, only started back because I’m bored with football, except TCU,, and I was so sorry when they didn’t make the playoffs last year.). Also, I really like Coach Cassidy, I enjoy his pre- and post-game meetings with the media, and have actually learned from them. I’m glad to see his sense of humor is coming out, he was so serious when he first started out. I think if you don’t have a good sense of humor you are going to have a rough time in this world, and as I am nearly 90 years old, I think I know what I’m talking about!
(I also like SinBin a lot, and all our announcers and commentators. Do hope we don’t lose any of them when we lose ABC SPORTS channel)
TS
Connie, great to hear another female perspective! Keep watching the games, and cheering the team on! Cassidy was interviewed recently with his 2 kids— he was still reserved, but he did crack a few smiles!
Jailbird
Now, we are complaining how a guy acts when scoring a goal? Man what a bunch of useless bullshit ! Ha ha
knights fan in minny
blue line six better be on their toes wild put on a hard forecheck flower will want to put on a show reaves as out last game don’t know if he will be in the lineup
Jailbird
Wild are tuff. But I think we will be all over them and light up the flower tonight!
THE hockey GOD
If I have sex with a woman who used to be a man, is that okay? I love people who have sex changes.
THE hockey GOD
another useless bull shit article about nothing
serves no point, this author is a dick, yet again.
Ken needs to dump this right coast, Bostonian, idiot, flush down the ole terlot.
THE hockey GOD
saying guns kill people,
is like saying pencils misspell words
liberalism is surely a
mental disorder
THE hockey GOD
BREAKING
The growing list of dementia joe failures now includes banking crisis’
The train wreck continues.
Wonder why several important banks collapsed in recent weeks? The left will make excuses, pointing to inflation (which is Biden’s fault) and other global factors. But beyond just Biden’s overall failures on the economy, he has taken steps to ensure banks will fail, regardless of inflation.
Biden is trying to force banks into investing–not in successful companies–but in companies with “woke” values and ideologies. He is forcing banks to bankroll the progressive left, ensuring every last bank will collapse eventually. But twenty-one states said “Enough” and are going straight to the root of this crisis.
A coalition of 21 state attorneys general sent a stark warning to dozens of financial institutions and asset managers, warning them against pursuing woke environmental and social initiatives.
In a letter sent Thursday to 53 of the nation’s largest financial institutions, which collectively manage trillions of dollars worth of assets, the attorneys general threatened to take legal action if the firms veer from the best interests of their clients while pushing social priorities.
Woah. A group of 21 state attorneys general warned the largest banks in America to “stay in their lane.” They warned these banks–which handle most of our wealth–not to pursue woke investments. Or, these states will take them to court.
This group is being led by Montana, Utah, and Louisiana. Can state AGs actually do this? They can. These states can take banks to court. If they can prove these banks weren’t acting in their customers’ best interests, they can sue them. And if banks are throwing your money at “woke” companies, because of their wokeness, instead of companies with proven ROIs, then they do have a case.
Jailbird
#Lockhimup.
Rashaad
Trump Indicted
JV
I guess the only reason that Kolesar started instead of Dorofeyev is Reaves needs someone’s face to stop his punches. That’s about all Kolesar is good for anyway.
TS
Jv, OUCH! That’ GOTTA hurt…lol…
Erik Vornoff
Eichel’s demeanor after scoring goals has changed recently. He used to raise his arms up in a “look at me, look at me, look at me” position, and open that huge mouth of his and scream. Now he is emotionless, like a machine.
I wonder what has changed with Eichels’ cellys? Was he told to tone it down?
Mel Hallerman
Anyone Notice that Alex Tuch is having a better season than Eichel – 35G, 72 points and another hat trick just yesterday?
Ben Panzarella
ken- why do you let the so called hockey god post non hockey related matters. He should be muted. If not then your as bad as this poster of nonsense is. But I do believe your better than that. Thank you.