For the first time this season, the Golden Knights are truly fighting it. Despite turning the tide late to force overtime last night, VGK head back onto the road carrying a four-game losing streak, the longest of the season, and on a 1-5-1 skid, the worst of the year.
Fortunately, two things are true about this stretch. First, the Golden Knights built a mountain of points in the first 40 games of the season so their place in the playoff chase is still extremely secure. Second, they’ve been here before, and not just on one occasion.
The season arc Vegas has experienced to this point is almost unbelievably common for this franchise. In seven seasons that were played using a normal NHL calendar, the Golden Knights have turned the page into the new year with at least 22 wins every single season. Amazingly, they’ve been either sole possession of 1st place, or tied on points, all seven years as well.
Record up to January 1
24-25: 25-9-3 (.716) – 1st place
23-24: 22-10-5 (.662) – T-1st place
22-23: 22-12-2 (.639) – 1st place
21-22: 22-12-0 (.647) – 1st place
20-21: N/A
19-20: 22-15-6 (.581) – 1st place
18-19: 23-15-4 (.595) – T-1st place
17-18: 26-9-2 (.730) – 1st place
Then, January hits, and almost like clockwork, or calendar-work in this case, there’s a bit of a downturn. In 2022-23, the Cup-winning season, 2021-22, the year they missed the playoffs, and 2019-20, the year they fired Gerard Gallant and ultimately reached the Western Conference Final, the Golden Knights dropped below a point per game in the first month of the new year.
January Records
24-25: 4-5-1 (.450)
23-24: 7-5-1 (.577)
22-23: 4-6-2 (.417)
21-22: 4-4-3 (.500)
20-21: N/A
19-20: 4-5-1 (.450)
18-19: 6-4-0 (.600)
17-18: 7-3-2 (.667)
This is a month we’ve got to push through. We’ve built ourselves a cushion so psychologically maybe that is going on where some of these teams are playing catch up and their urgency level is higher than ours right now. When our urgency level goes up, we’re a pretty good team, a very good team. -Bruce Cassidy
It’s what happens next that has defined each and every one of the Golden Knights’ last six “normal” seasons. (ignoring the 56-game COVID season).
The three times the Golden Knights have failed to advance beyond the first round (23-24, 21-22, and 18-19), the downturn continued into February. Each of those three seasons VGK finished February with a points percentage under .500 and each season they lost their position atop the Pacific Division by the end of the month. Meanwhile, in the years Vegas went on to find playoff success, they dominated in February, and entered March back atop the division.
February Records
23-24: 4-5-1 (.450)
22-23: 6-1-2 (.778)
21-22: 3-4-1 (.438)
20-21: N/A
19-20: 10-2-1 (.808)
18-19: 5-7-1 (.423)
17-18: 8-5-1 (.607)
Well nobody’s panicked. We’re not in the room tearing the walls down. It’s not a magic switch. You slowly come out of it. Every team goes through it. We just can’t go through it much longer. -Cassidy
Mark Twain may as well have been talking about the Golden Knights when he said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”
What has happened to the Golden Knights in the past is happening once again in their eighth season of existence. What happens next is anyone’s guess… but the month of February will probably offer a pretty good forecast.
Record From January 1 to End of Season
23-24: 23-19-3 (.544) – Lost in First Round
22-23: 26-10-7 (.686) – Won Stanley Cup
21-22: 21-19-8 (.521) – Missed Playoffs
20-21: N/A
19-20: 17-9-2 *COVID Shortened* (.643) – Lost in Western Conference Final
18-19: 20-17-3 (.538) – Lost in First Round
17-18: 25-15-5 (.611) – Lost in Stanley Cup Final
Emmanuel
I think the BIG problem is LW, the LW’s quite dont match with the C/RW, for instance is Barbashev a scorer or a checker? Hes kinda a tweener. Is Pearson a pure checker (id try him with WK & Stone). Who does Doro ride shotgun with? is he a defensive liability? Can he pass in a top six role? Howden is having a career season but do you want him in the top six in the playoffs? He has a horrific career track record maybe he just got hot for 2 months?
Also, lets be honest, the blueline is over rated, they are good but not top 5 (its not a knock, just honest appraisal).
JB
I agree regarding the D crew. Experienced yes, but also over-rated I think. Not enough toughness. Don’t clear the front of net enough. Poke checkers not hitters for the most part.
Emmanuel
Maybe the organization WANTS poke checkers, it keeps penalties down.
Walt
Notice how you seldom see a front of the net scrum after the whistle in a Vgk game. That is clear evidence of a lack of intensity in their game. and also the fact that their net front presence is not strong enough at both ends.
Too much dependence on rush chances and long soft perimeter wrist shots, which make it easier for the opponents to block shots. Notice that the 2 late goals were from one-timers from the circles. need more of those, and more greasy goals, and less long wrist shots.
ThG
VFK are not broad street bullies, NHL won’t tolerate this macho behavior any more under panty hose Bettman and woke NHL
ThG
wow BREAKING NEWS
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/trump-announces-major-ai-infrastructure-investment
ThG
Unverified but breaking on twitter X
https://x.com/Rightanglenews/status/1881787039915614705
ThG
BREAKING – United States Marshals have entered the DC prison that is refusing to release the remainder of their January 6 hostages!
Should massive charges be brought against this prison?
knights fan in minny
butt head jo could not do this
Donald J Trump
Politics in sports ???
Breaking
ESPN on Monday decided to air a message from President Trump during halftime of the college football national championship between Ohio State and Notre Dame.
Trump could not make the game, which took place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, as he was celebrating his return to the White House and going to inauguration balls.H
is message, however, was clear: “the golden age of America has begun.”
“Hello to my great, fellow Americans. This has been a historic and exciting day for our country. In recent years, our people have suffered greatly, but starting now, we’re going to bring America back and make it safer, richer and prouder than ever before,” Trump said.
“We’ll have a nation filled with compassion, strength and exceptionalism. Through our power and might, we will stop wars, and we will bring our world to peace. We will be respected again, and we will be admitted again — admired like we haven’t been in many, many years. We’ll put America first, and by doing so, we’re gonna make America great again.”
TS
OMG. As if hearing from this corrupt POS on TV every day wasn’t badcenpugh, THQ has his Fake Criminal here to harrass us, too????
Don’you have better things to do than pass off your BS here?? You know, like harrass the millions of LEGAL immigrants?? Or plan your revenge on the Jan 6 congressional investigators? Or go after half of America,.who detest your corrupt ass??. Go peddle ypur SHIT somewhere else. Oh, and tell your creator and his army of invisibles to POUND SAND!!!
ThG
Nobody is putting a gun to your head forcing you to read anyone’s post, tweaker, nobody is harassing anyone. What a stupid post.
So in summary, go fuck yourself. Whaa waa waa whiner crybaby, your post isn’t about hockey ! What fucking sicko pyshco hypocrite post!
George V
I told you all this person is unhinged. A lot of hate coming from that post. Stay away, avoid the hater. Remember this person invaded my family space with very rude behavior, and repeatedly lies about it.
TS
I ” invaded your family”? You SCREWED UP, MORON..IT IS TOP/ BOTTOM.DOG WHO CLAIMS/ LIES ABOUT MEETING ME!! YOU GOT YOUR INVISIBLES MIXED UP, THQUEER!! YOU ARE BUSTED AT LONG LAST!! IT WAS BOUND TO HAPPEN
LIARS EVENTUALLY GET CAUGHT IN THEIR ELABORAYE LIES BECAUSE THEY CAN’T KEEP TRACK 6OF THEM ALL!! TOO DAMN BAD YOU’VE FINALLY BEEN OUTED FOR THE LIAR YOU ARE!!!! OUTED, LITTLE MAN!! BUSTED!! CAUGHT IN HIS OWN.LIES AND DELUSION!! MARK THIS DAY, PEOPLE!!!! HOO- RAH, THE QUEER’S INVISIBLES ARE EXPOSED!! GOTCHA, SMART GUY!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
TS
GEORGIE, BUSTED!!! TOP DOG HAS LIED ABOUT ME, NOT YOU, FOOL!!HAHAHA , OUTED THQ’S LIES AT LONG LAST!! THIS IS WORTH CELEBRATING!!
ThG
knights fan in minny
was that a young john goodman in that commercial
ThG
yep
Tom Selleck
Great eye knights fan in minny. I can tell you from experience that John Goodman is a class act. I was filming a small movie called Monte West up in beautiful Alberta in 1983 and I had the pleasure of renting a home that John Goodman owned up in Alberta. John was a close friend of Robert Carradine who was also in the film and we both lived in the home during filming. Towards the end of production John Goodman flew up to Alberta to watch the Calgary Stampede and I got to know him a little bit for a very short period of time.
knights fan in minny
stop lying phony
Larry
A question I hope someone can answer.
I’ve stated before I was a huge Rangers fan growing up supporting them from the late 60’s until the mid 80’s when my heart couldn’t take the $&@46 islanders beating the Rangers in hard fought series yearly.
I became a VGK fan in year 2 as I only followed them peripherally in their Stanley Cup run.
I noticed the game and how it was called by now 2 refs!! had changed dramatically as the rule on icing had changed to the player closest to the puck…. A very good rule change indeed.
However I noticed the game had become way less physical due to ‘player safety’ rules… free agency… off season fraternization etc much to the detriment of the game…. hitting physicality intimidation are….or were ….psychologically important parts of the game… it sends messages to the other team as well as energizes those that are dishing it out.
I may be a relic of the sport but I like a scrum in front of the net…it shows intensity and a commitment to your goalie and your teammates that you are willing to get dirty.
The instigator penalty… the first to drop his gloves…the having to hold on to your stick in a get together..the face washing nonsense…not to mention if a second fight breaks out its a game misconduct is pure bullshit!
Legislation is not the way to police a game whether it’s guys skating at full speed or a 300 pound lineman bearing down on a quarterback and expected to stop on a dime and not breathe on him lest he be given a roughing penalty.
I know the NHL was trying to cut down on cross checking penalties hence my question is….
When did it happen that clearing the front of your net…to remove the guy in the eyes of your goalie…what other rules were put in to keep a D man from being physical with the forward in front of the net…obviously too often we see VGK involved in stick battles… when did it become sacrosanct to knock that player on his ass??
Lastly I agree with the lack of scrums in front of our net…what I see disgusts me…Hill makes a save and there is an opposing player there… and VGK just freezes and starts heading to the faceoff circle or bench…I’m not advocating hitting the player over the head…just simply get between the player and your goalie and skate him to the side….its a very simple act… thank you for letting me vent!
ThG
VGK are.. not broad.. street.. bullies, NHL won’t tolerate this macho behavior any more under panty hose Bettman and woke NHL
ThG
woke broke another nail in coffin of twisted sick agenda driven in
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/state-department-blocks-pride-blm-flags-from-embassies-outposts-one-flag-policy
ThG
https://www.foxnews.com/media/politico-editor-in-chief-calls-trump-greatest-american-figure-his-era-due-his-influence
ThG
Mr flip flop, up to revision 100,102 wrote
“Pistol Pete
I do have this more to say about ThG’s (The hockey God’s) contention that “East is better than West right now”. I hope it holds up in Edmonton tonight.
January 21, 2025Reply
Pistol Pete
Yup East better than West right now. Vegas remains up by one.”
January 21, 202
PP flip flop, revision no 100,102
Let’s look at scores from last night shall we ?
car 2 dal 1 , east 1 west 0
wash 3 edm 3 , east 2 west 0
buff 3 van 2, east 3 -0
fla 5 ana 2, east 4 -0
SC comes through the EAST this year.
The real ThG, not fake hockey GOD, get it right next time pee pee.
Pistol Pete
Geesh The hockey God/ThG I was attempting to acknowledge your point. Seems want the last word and this time you got it. How’s that?
Seriously, how can we judge East vs. West on a slew of regular season games? Actually I looked into it and East is 162-118-31 so far this season supporting your position…my complements. This is still just regular season results however and arguably the Cup takes precedence. See my post below: West leads 21-20 since the Conference format began in 1982. Parity. It’s very possible there is a statistical correlation between the regular season and which conference wins the Cup. Seems this is what you are suggesting for 2024-25. You may just be right. I think that may have been the case when VGK won…West had the winning record.
Pistol Pete
ThG you gave The hockey God away! The Hockey God/ThG/Donald J Trump. Any others?
The hockey God
“PIT 5 LAk 1
East is better than West , right now.”
ThG
“all i am saying is east is better right now. i did say anything about SC
.Learn to read pipsqueek.”
Pistol Pete
ThG, the regular season record aside, do you really think any of FLA, CAR, NJD, TBL, TOR and WSH is better than any of EDM, WPG, MIN, DAL, COL or the VGK? I can’t call it.
ThG
only me, you asked me a direct question; then you bring in other people ?!
Pistol Pete
Thought maybe The hockey God/ThG (ThehockeyGod) would have something to add to the East vs. West discussion. Looks like you’re in Donald J Trump mode.
My two cents is that FLA will not repeat which by default favors a West team.
Pistol Pete
Btw The hockey God/ThG/Donald J Trump, pipsqueak is spelled pipsqueak not pipsqueek.
TS
PP, Add George and his fav attack dog Top Dog, who has contiued to LIE about me even AFTER he admitted he NEVER met me, NEVER got near me, only ” saw me from afar”! There must be more invisibles, i just can’t remember them all. Just WHO does that??. Children have imaginary friends. Is the Q a man- child or just a child?? My bet is he’s an overweight, non- functioning old man with no friends and no control over his bowels, as he frequently accuses others of it. His mind may be the ONLY thing still working, and that’s why he needs allllll his imaginary friends to back him up.after HE himself attacks. One thing is clear: he is a SICK human.
ThG
says sybil person with TS alex, barbara, betty boop among others; posting lies as usual.
your post is not about hockey, psycho sicko hypocrite post.
George V
Leave me out of your invisible head trend, you need help. Psychological help. Stop with the substance abuse, now ! Seek therapy.
knights fan in minny
anger queen have a drink
TS
Thq, your imaginary friend Georgie just SCREWED UP! You forgot who claims to have met me!! Top dog is your invisible who sptead that lie, NOT Georgie!@ OPPS!! Liars lie sooooo much they eventually get tripped up trying to keep it all straight!! And YOU FUCKED UP, THQ! You finally fucked yourself and your elaborate web of invisibles!! LIAR, just like your Dear Leader!! Oh, this is RICH indeed!!! I shall NEVER let your sorry ass forget how long you have LIED about me, calling me tbe most VILE things, calling me a Tweaker..
When, in the REAL WORLD you have made up vile shit about me and have been repeating it for years!! It is YOU who repeatedly slandered me and others here, and you had to MAKE UP LIES to do it!! YOU ARE BUSTED, FUCKER!!! YOU MIXED UP YOUR INVISIBLES!! LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR. HOW DARE YOU SPREAD VILE LIES ABOUT ME, OR ANYONE HERE??. YOU ARE SCUM
TRUMP- SUCKING SCUM. LYING POS SCUM.
Donald J Trump
Insurrection Barbie
@DefiyantlyFree
Pam Bondi is now having her vote in the Senate delayed by seven days because of democrats.
Pete hasn’t had a vote scheduled because of Democrats.
They are slow walking the confirmation hearings for Tulsi, Gabbard, and Kash Patel.
I’m getting déjà vu. Republicans are allowing the second term to start heading in the same direction as President Trump’s first term went. There were certain people who were not confirmed for three years.
People need to get really serious here because what’s going to happen without maximum public pressure is that Republicans will fold like a cheap house of cards.
The games and the nonsense are already starting.
Melt down their phone lines. I certainly plan on doing that.
X has replaced legacy news as real , factual, news source for the World. Believe it !
ThG
Breaking
topics
1- politics in sports
2- democrats are morons.
https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1881875741396377914
ThG
ThG
Lib tard, and possible poster here, caught at White House . Look closing in back ground
https://x.com/i/status/1882090710402535745
Pistol Pete
“Starting in 1982, the championship round of the NHL’s playoffs has been a best-of-seven series played between the champions of the Eastern and Western Conferences. Since then, Western champions have won 21 times, while the Eastern champions have won 20 times.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Cup_Finals#:~:text=Starting%20in%201982%2C%20the%20championship,champions%20have%20won%2020%20times.
The hockey God
A couple of lib tard posters here, you know who you are; can’t wrap their tiny brains around the fact that some posters can actually share the same opinions. What a bunch of losers they are. They have voices in their heads, accusing everyone here that has a opinion they can’t fathom of being the same person. Morons !!
Pistol Pete
The hockey God/ThG/Donald J Trump:
SinBin’s resident head case! Lol.
ThG
^^^moron no 1^^^
TS
PO, Thq FINALLY tripoed up! He mixed up his invisibles, and his sick game is EXPOSED! After years of denying his invisible army, he slipped up and EXPOSED HIMSELF!!!! Mixed up his invisibles and his lies about me! Soooooo rich!!! I am vindicated!!! The LIAR is EXPOSED!!!!
TS
Old man, the twisted guy with his army of invisible atrack dogs is YOU.
Come on, little man, you may THINK you’re a clever guy, buy we ALL know how you play your twisted game. We see your invisibles come out of the ether whenever someone challenges your Political Porn. Are YOU that stupid, or do you just think WE are??
TS
For the fake Hockey God, not PP..
.
Pistol Pete
TS…
The hockey God/ThG/Donald J Trump:
Pistol Pete’s and TS’s little puppet. Dancing on our strings. We know which buttons to push lol!
ThG
mr flip flop moron no. 1 can’t stop harassing people on this board
ThG
^^sybil with multiple personalities see invisible people in head moron no2, 3,4, 5, and^^^^
wha wha wha both posts not about hockey, what a bunch of hypocrites !! And cry babies
George V
There is a lot of hate in this post. My my family’s interactions there needs to be an intervention here. Substance abuse ? Mentally unbalanced? Stalker like behavior. All signs of serious mental illness. Seeing things that aren’t there.
TS
“Seeing things that aren’t there”? YOU GOT IT HALF RIGHT,,,YOU AREN’T THERE, FOOL..
YOU’RE INVISIBLE!! GOOD ONE! BTW: IT WAS YPUR INVISIBLE BUDDY TOP DOG WHI LIED ABOUT MEETI.G ME, NOT YOU!! YOU THQ INVISIBLES ARE MIXING UP HIS LIES!! OOPS
.BUSTED!!
TS
THQ : BUSTED AT LONG LAST!HOO- RAH, THE TRUMP BITCH IS PUTED AT LADT!! YOU GOT TOP DOG AND GEORGIE MIXED UP!! GUESS YOU’RE THE VILL AGE IDIOT WITH HIS ARMY OF CONFUSED INVISIBLES AFTER ALL, HUH TGQ??. YOU FUCKED UP, LITTLE MAN. TRIPOED UP.BY ALLL THOSE LIES YOU TELL. HARD TO KEEP THEM.ALL STRAIGHT, HUH?? BUSTED FUCKER!
TS
The ONLY ” posters here who agree with your HATE are the imaginary ones you create, fool!! Your GEORGIE just got mixed up with your Top/ Bottom Dog!! You’re getting them all mixed up, moron!! Get your STINKING LIES STRAIGHT!! You KNOW you have lied for years, and now EVERYONE knows it!! Damn RICH for a Serial LIAR with multiple invisible friends to do his Dirty Work for him! You’ve been OUTED, Fool!! Your lies have been EXPOSED!! You EXPOSED YOURSELF, FOOL!!!! RICH! So satisfying to FINALLY expose you for who and what you are: an embarrassment to REAL MEN.
Pistol Pete
Kings beat the champs 2-1 in LA move a couple points up the standings. Two games in hand on Vegas and the Oilers.
larry
Sorry for the repost but im still hoping for an explanation…….
A question I hope someone can answer.
I’ve stated before I was a huge Rangers fan growing up supporting them from the late 60’s until the mid 80’s when my heart couldn’t take the $&@46 islanders beating the Rangers in hard fought series yearly.
I became a VGK fan in year 2 as I only followed them peripherally in their Stanley Cup run.
I noticed the game and how it was called by now 2 refs!! had changed dramatically as the rule on icing had changed to the player closest to the puck…. A very good rule change indeed.
However I noticed the game had become way less physical due to ‘player safety’ rules… free agency… off season fraternization etc much to the detriment of the game…. hitting physicality intimidation are….or were ….psychologically important parts of the game… it sends messages to the other team as well as energizes those that are dishing it out.
I may be a relic of the sport but I like a scrum in front of the net…it shows intensity and a commitment to your goalie and your teammates that you are willing to get dirty.
The instigator penalty… the first to drop his gloves…the having to hold on to your stick in a get together..the face washing nonsense…not to mention if a second fight breaks out its a game misconduct is pure bullshit!
Legislation is not the way to police a game whether it’s guys skating at full speed or a 300 pound lineman bearing down on a quarterback and expected to stop on a dime and not breathe on him lest he be given a roughing penalty.
I know the NHL was trying to cut down on cross checking penalties hence my question is….
When did it happen that clearing the front of your net…to remove the guy in the eyes of your goalie…what other rules were put in to keep a D man from being physical with the forward in front of the net…obviously too often we see VGK involved in stick battles… when did it become sacrosanct to knock that player on his ass??
Lastly I agree with the lack of scrums in front of our net…what I see disgusts me…Hill makes a save and there is an opposing player there… and VGK just freezes and starts heading to the faceoff circle or bench…I’m not advocating hitting the player over the head…just simply get between the player and your goalie and skate him to the side….its a very simple act… thank you for letting me vent!
Pistol Pete
With respect to physicality Cassidy probably prefers to err on the side of not taking penalties. As I recall they tightened the cross check parameters a couple years ago reducing hitting in front of the net, therefore knocking that guy on his butt is a penalty and penalties are costly against a good PP. Hitting is a tricky issue. The game will always be physical but it would be nice to minimize injuries so full health is more common evening the playing field. Hope this helps Larry.
Pistol Pete
Hits last 7 games (lose 6 of 7 incl. one OTL):
NYI: 19
VGK: 12 (lose)
NYR: 26
VGK: 30 (lose)
MIN: 27
VGK: 23 (win)
VGK: 18 (lose)
NSH: 18
VGK: 19 (lose)
CAR: 18
VGK: 29 (lose)
CHI: 29
STL: 16
VGK: 22 (OTL)
VGK out-hit the opponent 3 games, was out-hit 2 games and hits were even 2 games.
VGK: 153 hits
Opponents: 153 hits
Larry
Thanks Pete, I knew about the cutting down of cross checking as one of the reasons, the last guy who cleared the front of the net and took exception to a player being near his goal was Engeland and of course he was a throwback to a slightly different era.
I wonder what Hnidy thinks when he watches the games, and lastly the President of Operations was one of the toughest players during his era despite his lack of size, so obviously this all takes place under his watch!
Jack Hammer
Some idiots might want some hockey information instead of all that other crap. As per Jack Hammer who always has it first.
The Golden Knights announce William Karlsson is week-to-week with a lower body injury, and have recalled Tanner Laczynski and Brendan Brisson from the AHL.
knights fan in minny
talk about idiots look in the fucking mirror ass clown
Jose
Thanks for that Jack. Explains why he has been slumping a little bit.
A new opportunity for someone else.
Larry
Indispensable…. A Swiss Army knife… maybe a blessing in disguise as no 4 Nations…heal up Karly and get ready for the 2nd season
I’m no Brisson fan at all but maybe just maybe he will go forward with this opportunity and shut my mouth!
Jack Hammer
Barbashev-Eichel-Stone
Olofsson-Hertl-Dorofeyev
Pearson-Roy-Kolesar
Brisson-Laczynski-Holtz
McNabb-Theodore
Hanifin-Pietrangelo
Hague-Whitecloud
Samsonov
Larry
Aye carumba!!
Rashaad
No Howden either?
Larry
And after tonight, only the stars, panthers and stars in our next three games…d-oh!
#9 your time to shine!