(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)
Last night’s 4-2 divisional loss to the Edmonton Oilers capped off a difficult two-game homestand for the Golden Knights. Vegas’ last month or so has been a challenge to say the least. Since their Olympic break return, the Golden Knights are 2-5-0, dropped out first place, and lost captain Mark Stone to injury.
https://twitter.com/SinBinVegas/status/2030879713783411136?s=20
VGK’s latest skid caught the eye of some of the league’s prognosticators. According to the experts, Vegas is in a downward trend.
(Credit: ESPN)
The last time ESPN released its power rankings, the Golden Knights were the 10th-highest-rated team. According to their latest release, Vegas is 12th. Still, the Golden Knights remain a contending Western Conference club, but in reality, they’re a second place team in a below-average division and slipping quickly.
Based on points and success, the West will run through the Central Division. All three, Colorado, Dallas, and Minnesota, are a combined +160 in goal differential this season. The Pacific Division is -157.
Top 16 Teams In NHL By Points
- Colorado Avalanche – 95 Points
- Dallas Stars – 88 Points
- Carolina Hurricanes – 86 Points
- Minnesota Wild – 85 Points
- Buffalo Sabres – 84 Points
- Tampa Bay Lightning – 82 Points
- Detroit Red Wings – 79 Points
- Montreal Canadiens – 78 Points
- Pittsburgh Penguins – 78 Points
- New York Islanders – 77 Points
- Boston Bruins – 76 Points
- Columbus Blue Jackets – 73 Points
- Anaheim Ducks – 73 Points
- Utah Mammoth – 72 Points
- Vegas Golden Knights – 72 Points
- Ottawa Senators – 71 Points
Thursday’s contest against the Minnesota Wild was a good example of the level of competition in the Western Conference. While they’re both considered equals, Vegas came up short against a team they could face deep in the postseason.
The imbalance in the West was what cost the Golden Knights their top spot in the Pacific this past weekend.
While the Wild play competitively in a strong Central Division, the Golden Knights are battling for the top spot in a division that will have 2-3 playoff teams out of the Top 16 teams in points. As of right now, Edmonton, LA, San Jose, and Seattle would be out of the playoffs if it were a league-wide 1 vs. 16 postseason format.
Thankfully, the Golden Knights will likely be playing one of those teams in the opening round of the playoffs.
Richie-Rich
The Blue Jackets are ahead of us?
Fire the FO.
Emmanuel
In the same group as the Blue Jackets, Mammoth & Senators & way behind the Sabres…………
Stu C
Underachieving all year. Overpaid for far too many players that are not worth it.
Front office has made awful decisions
Centered around Hill. Long contract for far too much money. Something is so wrong with team management
hdbiker7851
How come when I have been saying that more often than not many posters on this site consider it negative a poor fan etc. Your post speaks to reality which many dismiss as negativity when in fact it is very factual. Believe me I wish it wasn’t the case, but their play continues to demonstrate it is the case. Many on this site want Cassidy fired which is ridiculous, he can only coach what he is given, this team has been dismantled by the FO in one way or another after winning the Cup. Time for the Creator to make the long overdue moves.
Emmanuel
FO has Greg Louganis’d since the ‘25 trade deadline.
Nemec, Tkachuk & (probably) Matthews will be moved this summer.
Time to wheel & deal.
KnightWatch
At least the Lightning – Sabres game was entertaining.
Made up for the same ol’ same ol’ offensive dynamo here.
At one point the penalty boxes were standing room only.
Lots of hits, lots of fights add some more meelee, lots of (fan) fun to watch hockey and lots of goal scoring to boot.
NAM
That’s old time hockey. The game is so soft now, for the most part. Good to see the chaos if even for one lone game.
JB
Yea, that was a very entertaining game! Was rooting for Buffaloe, (sp). Hope they finally make the playoffs!
hdbiker7851
JB – Buffalo has a better chance of making the playoff than the Knights and all they did was change a GM. Hard to say why that flipped the switch but the timing corresponds.
Emmanuel
The youngsters in BUF all took it to another level in mid December, it aligns.
Itll be hard getting top FA’s to go to buffalo though, they better pore $ into the scouting staff.
KnightWatch
Wouldn’t that be something if the Sabres break the Buffalo curse before the Bills do.
Likely not this year. but quite impressive what Sabres have done so far.
Pundits would flip with Ducks vs Sabres for the Cup
Tim
Like hdbiker7851 I love the Knights But when you tell the truth the brains dead fans that never see the forest for the trees. Number one we can’t win at home and thats not this year. We have all these high priced players that can’t score shit and were led in scoring by Dorofeyev. We keep trading our young players for for over the hill players. How about Suzuki for Patch how did that work out. Patch was hurt half the time now he hates us. Now our latest debacle give Whitecloud a first and a second for Anderson now that’s a joke.
JB
What I see is a lack of unity. It was even mentioned in the paper a few days ago, that a little back stabbing had been going on. Certain players blaming other players for not playing hard, doing their jobs. If they don’t have that “love” for each other, that we have seen before, then that is a big problem!
Richie-Rich
Dumbest moves:
1. Bringing in Robin Lehner.
2. Losing Suzuki.
3. Trading Alex Tuch.
4. Trading Zach Whitecloud.
5. Losing Logan Thompson.
6. Losing Roy & Hague
Jury is still out on Mitch Marner despite his production.
Emmanuel
Gotta (mostly) disagree:
1/4/5/6 are spare parts/supplemental players.
2 We got Pacioretty a very good player in return, Suzuki though talented wasnt a sure thing. Hes a premium scorer so you can claim this as a LONG TERM mistake.
3 Tuch was an expansion throw in developing into a power forward but was hurt a lot and only had one (exact) 20 goal season. Eichel came back the other way. Id do that trade anyday especially as I always thought Krebs would be a bust.
It come down to Eichel & Pacioretty for Suzuki & Tuch.
Close but id take Eichel & Pacioretty.
Harry Schmeckle
Excellent
FG
VGK have 18 games left. Three are almost guaranteed loses, two to the Stars and one to the Avalanche. That leaves 15 to get points, but two to both the Oilers and Kraken. The season will come down to those 15 games, but most importantly those four. Lose all four and they are likely golfing in April.
I commented last year the team was a paper tiger, and this year are worse, and now we see that come to fruition.
Larry
2) agreed cause the FO couldn’t bear to part with their beloved #1 draft pick because’ he had amazing vision and could see every part of the ice ‘
3) losing Roy to gain an extra year of Marner was not the wisest choice as Roy was reliable as a Swiss Army knife type of player, Hague was expendable and certainly at that price point, if he would have developed as a bruiser type defenseman I would have had regrets.
3) I always felt Tuchy was the ‘X’ factor, and he delivered by bringing us Jack Eichel and a Stanley Cup!
4) I don’t need to obviously state my agreement with this
Vic
Only now mentioning ‘concerns’? 5 wins and 12 losses since the mid-January winning streak. Don’t need Corsi to know this:
*Better than average top 6, when healthy.
*Below average bottom 6.
*Average defense, but worsening.
*Below average in goal.
Add in lack of speed, net-front presence and grit and we have the ingredients for a team dropping like a rock.
This old guy has a hard time watching VGK games as they are mostly over early and are missing intensity. I’m not interested in how great they play when falling behind….more interested in 5 and 12. Now or never boys.