We’ll stop playing like garbage in the 3rd period if you guys stop chanting “Third Period’s Ours.” (Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)
One sign of a good team in any sport is an ability to correct a consistent problem. Early in the season, the Golden Knights could not figure out how to close out games.
In the first 13 games of the season, the Golden Knights outscored their opponent in the final period just three times while being outscored in seven. If you throw out the first two games, which Vegas won the 3rd in both, that makes for an 11 game stretch in which they had the upper hand in the 3rd just one time.
Over the course of the last six games, they’ve won the final frame in three and tied two others. Throwing out the disaster in Edmonton, the Golden Knights are outscoring their opponents by a score of 6-1 and they’ve yet to surrender a lead in the 3rd since the first and second games of the long road trip.
I think the guys are getting used to it, they’re more confident. -Gerard Gallant
The reason for the struggles has almost always been blamed on the same thing by the coach and players, aggressiveness. They’ve pointed directly at the fact that previously when the team had a lead, they would change their style of play and attempt to hold on to the game. In fact, following the OT win against St. Louis, Luca Sbisa even used the words afraid and scared.
Can’t we just call it a night after 2? (Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)
