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(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

This season Bruce Cassidy has had the answers.

He’s helped a team that missed the playoffs a year ago storm back to the front of the Western Conference and he’s done it amidst another rash of injuries including three to goaltenders inside of a month.

When the team has had issues, he’s had answers on how to fix them. From the penalty kill to 6-on-5 situations to breaking up the Misfit line to winning at home, even the power play, Cassidy has equipped his team with a plan and when they’ve followed it they’ve had success.

There is one problem he has yet to solve though, and it’s a big one.

I have to do a deeper dive as to why we are struggling in our own division. I haven’t put my finger on it yet as I’m still new to this division in terms of seeing them as much. I don’t have a good answer for that right now. -Cassidy

After last night’s loss, the Golden Knights are now 8-8-2 against the Pacific Division.

Anaheim: 2-0-1
Calgary: 1-2-0
Edmonton: 0-1-1
Los Angeles: 1-2-0
Seattle: 1-1-0
San Jose: 2-1-0
Vancouver: 1-1-0

Against the four teams still fighting for playoff position, Vegas is a paltry 3-6-1.

We’ve got to get out of our division if we expect to go where we want to go so we’ve got to correct that, I know what much. How we’re going to correct it? That’s still a work in progress. -Cassidy

Eight of the 12 games remaining on the schedule are against the Pacific with six of them against Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

These games will not only go a long way in determining who the Golden Knights will play in the playoffs, but will also foreshadow how they may do once they are.

Cassidy was stumped last night. He can’t be moving forward.

CALGARY FLAMES 7 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2 (42-21-6, 90 PTS)

By Ken Boehlke

On March 16, 2023

In Game Recaps

Recap: The Golden Knights returned home for their first home game since March 5th. The opening 20 got off to a slow pace but warmed up towards the end of the period. The Flames got on the scoreboard first and held a 1-0 advantage going into the 1st intermission.

Calgary doubled their lead 3:39 into the middle frame. Nine minutes later Zach Whitecloud cut the Flames lead in half to 2-1. Moments later Reilly Smith evened the score with his 23rd goal of the season. Later in the period Calgary regained their lead to 3-2.

Vegas forward Brett Howden committed a costly penalty 7:33 into the final period and the Flames capitalized on the opportunity. Calgary went on to record three more in the final frame to finish off Vegas 7-2.

The Golden Knights’ record drops to 42-21-6 losing to the Flames 7-2. Vegas will have an extra day off and will next face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday afternoon. Puck drop against the Blue Jackets is set for 1 PM. (Recap by Jason)

Analysis: It took VGK quite a while to get the offense going in this game. They were doing well enough defensively for the first portion of the game but they just didn’t generate much. They did well to use a quick flurry to storm back in, but like many games on the road trip they weren’t the better team for most of the night. Without the early lead, they couldn’t manage to find a way to make it work in this one. (Analysis by Ken)

Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs. Calgary Flames at T-Mobile Arena.

Bettman Ensures Games Will Continue To Be Broadcast On AT&T Sportsnet Through Rest Of Regular Season

By Ken Boehlke

On March 16, 2023

In Fans

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

The TV channel that airs most Golden Knights games, AT&T Sportsnet, is in dire straights. In February the parent company of the channel, Warner Brothers Discovery, announced it is leaving the business of owning Regional Sports Networks, or RSNs. The deadline they set was March 31st.

Obviously, that date is before the end of the Golden Knights’ regular season which has many fans wondering what will happen if the channel does indeed go under. Will the seven games scheduled to air in April be televised?

Well, fear not… at least for now.

(AT&T SportsNet is) going to continue to carry the games (through the end of the Golden Knights’ season). As I said (regarding) any of the regionals, we believe based on everything we’ve been told, and we’re in constant dialogue, that our games certainly through this regular season will be taken care of. And then once we get to the playoffs, there’s national distribution. –Gary Bettman, via TheAthletic

As for what happens in the future, that is a bit foggier.

There’s a strong chance that as soon as next season Golden Knights games will no longer air on AT&T Sportsnet, as it’s possible the channel will cease to exist come October.

However, Golden Knights fans should not be concerned whatsoever about the availability of the games moving forward. The NHL has been steadfast in reassuring fans that all games will have a home, and with Vegas remaining one of the strongest TV markets in the league, there will always be a way to watch the team.

Goalie Interference – Season 2 Episode 24 – March 15th, 2023

By Ken Boehlke

On March 15, 2023

In Podcast

The Golden Knights have returned home from a wildly successful road trip and are on the brink of locking up a playoff berth. We chat about what we learned from the East Coast swing, which players have stepped up, the goaltending and more. Plus, we’ll dive into the difference between actual results and expected results.

Goalie Interference is brought to you weekly by the Jimmerson Law Firm. The Jimmerson Law Firm is one of Las Vegas’s preeminent law firms, specializing in high-stakes business, civil and family litigation. When winning matters, seek out The Jimmerson Law Firm.

Audio Only

Nine Minutes To Win It

By Ken Boehlke

On March 15, 2023

In Game Analysis

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

When the Golden Knights head East, fans back in Las Vegas need to maneuver their days to be ready for hockey hours earlier than they are used to. It was especially important to be on time to watch them play on this recent road trip because it did not take long to get the action started.

In the final game of the road trip the Golden Knights scored the game’s first goal 8:34 into the 1st period, and that was the longest it took them in any of the previous four games. They went ahead in St. Louis at the 8:05 mark, struck quickly against Carolina at 4:03, and wasted absolutely no time getting on the board in Tampa, scoring just 27 seconds into the game.

These early goals helped the Golden Knights to run off a four-game stretch in which they did not trail for a single second of any game. They did, on multiple occasions, give up the early lead they had built, but were able to strike back in all four games.

Scoring early has been an important trend for the Golden Knights this season. They’ve notched a goal in the first nine minutes of 24 different games this season. In those games, they are 20-3-1. That means they are just 22-17-5 when they don’t.

On eight different occasions, Vegas has scored twice in the opening half of the 1st period. They are 8-0-0 in those games including wins over Boston, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Winnipeg, and Pittsburgh.

Early goals help to keep the Golden Knights from heading into the locker room at the end of 20 behind on the scoreboard. When VGK enter the 2nd period with a lead, they are 23-4-0 this year, when they are behind, they are 5-10-2.

The .294 points percentage when trailing after the 1st period ranks Vegas 14th in the league. All but one of the 13 teams ahead of the Golden Knights are currently in playoff position, while just three of the 18 behind Vegas are set to play beyond April 15th. On the flip side, VGK’s .852 points percentage when leading after the 1st is good for 5th best in the league, behind just Tampa, Boston, Seattle, and Minnesota.

Scoring early matters, a lot, for the Golden Knights. When they do it, they typically win, when they don’t, things get much more difficult.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 5 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS 3 (42-20-6, 90 PTS)

By Ken Boehlke

On March 14, 2023

In Game Recaps

Recap: Vegas was looking to end this difficult road trip by completing a four game win streak with a game in Philadelphia. Like they have in many games this trip, they got on the board early, with Pavel Dorofeyev scoring just under nine minutes into the contest.

VGK would add to that total early in the 2nd with a power play tip-in goal from Ivan Barbashev and then Teddy Blueger would get his first goal as a Golden Knight later in the frame. After 40 minutes, Vegas led 3-1.

In the 3rd, it appeared it would be smooth sailing as Jonathan Marchessault added another power play goal to extend the lead to three goals. Philly came storming back through notching two goals in about two minutes to cut the lead to one. But, Vegas held on and buried the empty netter to take home the victory.

The Golden Knights’ record improves to 42-20-6 with their 5-3 win in Philadelphia. Vegas will head home with 8 points in the bag and begin a short homestand against Calgary and Columbus. Puck drop against the Flames on Thursday is scheduled for 7 PM. (Recap by Ken)

Analysis: The Golden Knights continued doing what they have for most of this road trip. They got on the board first then defended by keeping the opposition to the outside. Anything that did get through Jonathan Quick was there to scoop up (for the most part). It’s a fairly comfortable win, aside from those few minutes it got close, that brings an end to an incredibly successful road trip. (Analysis by Ken)

Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs. Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center.

VGK Must Boost Analytics To Avoid Inevitable Regression

By Ken Boehlke

On March 14, 2023

In Stats

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

Since the All Star break, no one has been winning more than the Golden Knights. Their 12-2-2 record is the best in the league since the beginning of February and they’ve done it while playing one of the toughest schedules of any team.

The wins are continuing to cement VGK’s place in the playoff picture and have them as clear favorites to win the Pacific Division with less than 20 games to go. What the wins are not doing though are impressing the stat nerds (myself included).

While the Golden Knights have beaten many of the best teams in the league over this recent stretch, they are doing it in a bit of an ugly way. They’ve been outshot in 11 of the last 12, have given up at least eight high-danger chances in 13 straight games, and have lost the expected goals battle in 8 of the last 11.

Over the last 16 games, the Golden Knights lead the league in points percentage, while ranking 20th in expected goals, 25th in Corsi, and 25th in scoring chance percentage at 5-on-5. One of the main reasons for the difference in results vs. analytics is VGK’s shooting and save percentage. They rank 2nd in the league in shooting percentage and 3rd in save percentage for a wildly inflated PDO of 1.051.

So the question becomes, over the course of a larger sample size, how reliant are the Golden Knights’ results on their analytics?

The first way to analyze this is to look through a bunch of different 15-game segments the Golden Knights have played this season. There are a few awesome ones, a few poor ones, and some average ones. Comparing them to the analytics will help show the correlation or lack thereof.

Vegas Versus The Mighty Eastern Conference

By Jason Pothier

On March 13, 2023

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

All season long the eyes of the hockey world have been on the Eastern Conference. Based on performance and deep lineups the odds suggest an Eastern Conference team will be named the 2023 Stanley Cup champion. Through 67 games, the Golden Knights are making analysts, computer models, insiders, and pundits rethink their position.

On Saturday, Vegas casually shut out the high-powered Carolina Hurricanes to record the team’s 20th victory against the Eastern Conference. Tomorrow night in Philadelphia they can add to that total.

VGK vs the Eastern Conference (30 Games)

.700 Points Percentage
3.45 Goals Scored Per Game
2.70 Goals Allowed Per Game
Shutout CAR, 1 Goal Allowed vs TOR
Jack Eichel vs East: 26 Points (13G, 13A)

Left on the schedule from the East are the Philadelphia Flyers and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Vegas will likely be a sizable favorite in both games. In 30 eastern matchups the Golden Knights would have a total of of 44 cross-conference credits. That’s 47% of Vegas’ 88 total points. Talk about flipping the script.

The message the Golden Knights sent to the East this season has been loud and it’s been heard.

They’re a good team. They hunker down in front and we knew that coming in. That got us behind the eight ball. In the 2nd period we weren’t very good, but we didn’t give up much. Just one bad bounce and it was a breakaway. Then we were down two. We had a good 3rd. We pushed, we just couldn’t get one by them. -Rod Brind’Amour, Hurricanes coach

Not only did the Golden Knights blank the Hurricanes, they also held the Toronto Maple Leafs to one goal back in October. On top off sweeping the Canes and Leafs, Vegas did the same to the Canadiens, Capitals, Lightning, and Senators in their two-game sets.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 5 ST. LOUIS BLUES 3 (41-20-6, 88 PTS)

By Ken Boehlke

On March 12, 2023

In Game Recaps

Recap: The Golden Knights traveled to St. Louis attempting to add to their two game-winning streak. William Karlsson opened the scoring with his 13th goal of the season. The Blues scored five minutes later to even the score 1-1.

Jonathan Marchessault snapped the tie 0:28 into the middle period. Fellow forward Michael Amadio stretched Vegas’ lead three minutes later. St. Louis scored late in the frame to get within one. After 40 minutes the Golden Knights held a 3-2 advantage.

St. Louis quickly tied the game in the final 20 minutes. The Golden Knights stole the lead when Pavel Dorofeyev scored his first NHL goal off the visor of his helmet. With five seconds remaining, Alex Pietrangelo iced the game with a long-distance empty net goal.

The Golden Knights’ record improves to 41-20-6 with their 5-3 win in St. Louis. Vegas will finish their road trip on Tuesday in Philadelphia. Puck drop is scheduled for 4 PM. (Recap by Jason)

Analysis: The Golden Knights once again snagged an early lead which allowed them to play a much more controlled defensive game. They extended that lead with a pair of goalie errors by Binnington and then went back into the defensive shell. St. Louis fired back but the moment the game was tied the Golden Knights turned it back on. The gameplay kind of made it look like the Blues were the better and more aggressive team, but the game state was always in VGK’s favor and they ultimately took home the win, so they must have done something right. (Analysis by Ken)

Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs. St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4 CAROLINA HURRICANES 0 (40-20-6, 86 PTS)

By Ken Boehlke

On March 11, 2023

In Game Recaps

Recap: The Golden Knights were looking to make it two in a row with a matchup in Carolina against the Hurricanes. Vegas jumped out ahead 4:03 into the game after Jonathan Marchessault recorded his 20th goal of the season. Goaltender Jonathon Quick was sharp in net, keeping Carolina off the scoreboard in the opening 20 minutes.

Late in the 2nd period Reilly Smith weaved through Carolina’s defense to give Vegas a 2-0 advantage. Smith scored his 22nd of the season to extend the Golden Knights lead. Quick continued to frustrate the Hurricanes and carried a shutout into the final intermission.

Vegas’ Paul Cotter stretched VGK’s lead to 3-0 midway into the 3rd period. Cotter scored off a beautiful two-pass feed from Chandler Stephenson and Alex Pietrangelo. Carolina pulled their goalie with three minutes left but Brett Howden added an empty netter in the final minutes. VGK’s defense held up and preserved Quick’s shutout.

The Golden Knights record improves to 40-20-6 defeating the Hurricanes 4-0. Vegas will hit the ice tomorrow in St. Louis for a battle with the Blues. Puck drop is scheduled for 4 PM. (Recap by Jason)

Analysis: The Golden Knights scored early on a sneaky Marchessault shot through a screen, and then they went into a bit of a defensive shell and allowed Jonathan Quick to clean up the trash. They did well keeping the Canes to the outside and worked hard to block a lot of shots, but they spent a lot of time in their own end which is rarely the ideal way to play. As the lead increased (thanks Brent Burns)VGK got more and more conservative and the Canes could not beat Quick. I’m not sure that’s the style VGK really want to play to win every night, but it worked like a charm on this one. (Analysis by Ken)

Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena.

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Page 2 of 381

Golden Knights Struggles Against The Pacific Continue

CALGARY FLAMES 7 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2 (42-21-6, 90 PTS)

Bettman Ensures Games Will Continue To Be Broadcast On AT&T Sportsnet Through Rest Of Regular Season

Goalie Interference – Season 2 Episode 24 – March 15th, 2023

Nine Minutes To Win It

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 5 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS 3 (42-20-6, 90 PTS)

VGK Must Boost Analytics To Avoid Inevitable Regression

Vegas Versus The Mighty Eastern Conference

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 5 ST. LOUIS BLUES 3 (41-20-6, 88 PTS)

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4 CAROLINA HURRICANES 0 (40-20-6, 86 PTS)

Points To Elimination

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