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VGK’s Wounded Offense Needs Shot In The Arm For Two In Alberta

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On December 20, 2025

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: @NHL on X/Twitter)

This weekend, the Golden Knights will be without two of their top players in Alberta. Tonight, Vegas will face a Calgary team that’s 10 points back and is expected to miss the postseason for the fourth straight season. However, the Flames are holding their opponents under three goals per game this season. Like Vegas, Calgary is in the Top 12 for allowing the fewest number of goals per 60.

Since Thanksgiving, the Golden Knights have participated in nine games, and five have gone into an overtime period or a shootout. Without that extra hockey, Vegas is averaging 2.44 goals per game in regulation.

Both Calgary and Edmonton pose problems when the Golden Knights are struggling to score, as they did against the Devils on Wednesday.

VGK’s Scoring Rank Since Thanksgiving

  • 5-on-5 Goals: 14 (31st)
  • 4-on-4 Goals: 1 (12th)
  • 5-on-4 Goals: 6 (13th)
  • 3-on-3 Goals: 2 (3rd)

It’s been almost 10 games, and the Golden Knights are the NHL’s 3rd-worst club in even-strength goals during that stretch. Scary enough, if you subtract all goals scored on the PP or in OT, Vegas drops to second-to-last with only 14 5-on-5 goals. Gulp.

Without Eichel’s 1.32 points per game and Theodore’s 0.65 PPG, the Golden Knights will need others to compensate in Alberta. The Flames have been averaging over three goals per game since late November, and no surprise, the Oilers are leading the league with more four goals scored per game recently. They’ve also been holding opponents to 2.40 goals per 60. VGK’s woeful offensive production could be coming at the wrong time.

On the flip side, maybe the absences of two of Vegas’ top playmakers jumpstart other skilled members of the team. Much of the weight should fall on Tomas Hertl, Mitch Marner, and Mark Stone. However, all three are averaging far less than half a goal per game. While Marner is averaging a point per game, he’s still sitting on six goals for the season. VGK’s $96M free agent is on pace for 15 total goals in 2025-26. Rookie Braeden Bowman is projected for 20, and he didn’t enter the lineup until VGK’s 16th game.

Let’s hope this is the adversity Marner needed to establish himself as the major impact player the organization can rely on.

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Are The Current Pacific Division Standings A Mirage Or Reality for Vegas?

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On November 12, 2025

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

This morning the Golden Knights woke up only to find themselves in 5th place in the Pacific Division. Sure, there’s five months left in the regular season, but for dramatics’ sake, if the playoffs were to begin today, the Golden Knights would be O-U-T out.

In years past, the Golden Knights routinely feasted on nonthreatening Pacific Division opponents. Since 2021-22, Vegas has an astonishing .800 points percentage against Anaheim, Calgary, San Jose, and Seattle. The Golden Knights gleefully average 22 standings points each season by beating up on those four franchises.  Surprisingly, that group of pushovers is now down to just the Flames (which VGK have already taken four points off of).

VGK vs ANA, CGY, SJ, SEA Since 2021-22

  • 2021-22: 23 Points (11-3-1)
  • 2022-23: 20 Points (9-3-2)
  • 2023-24: 19 Points (9-6-1)
  • 2024-25: 26 Points (12-0-2)

So far, the Golden Knights have played six games against divisional foes. They are 3-0-3 in those games. Like clockwork, Vegas is back to pick-pocketing points against the four dwellers of the past. Altogether, the Golden Knights have picked up points in each divisional game this season. However, Pacific matchups haven’t been as easy as years past. Ahem, well, maybe one game.

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Golden Knights Looking To Buck Concerning Age Trend For Stanley Cup Champions

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On September 29, 2025

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

A concerning trend resurfaced this week, and it’s one Golden Knights fans are going to want to turn a blind eye to.

Of course, the Oilers did not win the Stanley Cup last year, so for ten straight years each champion had two or fewer forwards over the age of 32 years old. Going into this season, the Golden Knights will have six. Four of them already own Stanley Cup championship rings, and the streaks exist to be broken.

2025-25 VGK’s Senior Forwards

  • Reilly Smith (34)
  • William Karlsson (33)
  • Brandon Saad (33)
  • Mark Stone (33)
  • Tomas Hertl (32)
  • Colton Sissons (32)

In 2023, the Golden Knights cruised to a five-game Stanley Cup Finals victory with two forwards 32 or older on the roster. Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault was 32 when he won the sport’s ultimate individual award. The other forward was 37-year-old Phil Kessel, who suited up for only four of VGK’s 22 playoff game run.

When Vegas knocked off Florida, the average age of their forward group on the ice was 25.5 years old. On this upcoming opening night, the Golden Knights’ average forward age will be a youthful 30.3 years old. While history shows the Golden Knights are above the ideal age, they are still one of the deepest and most talented lineups in the Western Conference.

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Mixed Emotions From VGK Fans For Tonight’s Stanley Cup Final Game Six

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On June 17, 2025

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

Tonight, the Stanley Cup could be awarded to a team the Golden Knights defeated in 2023. The Florida Panthers are in the process of wrapping up another league championship in back-to-back postseasons. With the offseason potentially one game away Vegas fans are feeling a little uncertain about the results.

I don’t care either way. After the Golden Knights lost I stopped watching. It was a disappointing season and it really doesn’t matter who wins. I guess it would be better to see Florida win. -Simon D’Antona, VGK fan

Naturally, many fans would rather see the Panthers return as champions instead of the team that eliminated the Golden Knights in the second round. With one loss from elimination, the Edmonton Oilers, Vegas’ current rival, aren’t quite popular around Southern Nevada.

Most VGK loyalists are still upset that Oilers stars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are still competing. It’s a tough reminder that the Golden Knights were beaten in five games to a team that’s on the brink of losing a second straight Stanley Cup Final. To some, it should be the Golden Knights that are taking on the Panthers. After all, they are the last club to beat the reigning champs.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Vegas would have given the Panthers a better challenge than the Oilers. Vegas blew it. They should’ve played Dallas, beat up on them and DeBoer and hosted a rematch with Florida. Maybe I’m crazy but Vegas would have beaten them again. -Keith Tyler, VGK fan

On one side, if the Panthers win, you could argue the Golden Knights blocked their dynasty. Many believe that Florida would be if they defeat Edmonton again. Three straight finals appearances and back-to-back Stanley Cup trophies, it checks out. However, Vegas embarrassed the reigning champions in five games in 2023 with a +14 goal differential. It’s fair to make the case that the Golden Knights are the toughest postseason matchup for the Panthers.

I’d like to see the Oilers win. I tend to root for the team that beat my favorite team. Plus, it would be cool to see McDavid win. He’s certainly earned it but the Panthers are so nasty. Yeah, I don’t feel good about it but I’m hoping the Oilers pull it off. -Dan Helm, VGK fan

I’m guessing that most of the Golden Knights’ fan base will care what happens tonight. Some, like myself, are just simple hockey fans and enjoy watching any postseason series. Most Vegas loyalists will enjoy busting Edmonton’s chops but they don’t seem too invested. It’s summer time, the rumor mill is spinning out of control and they only care about what Vegas is planning to do next.

The cap is increasing, and the Golden Knights plan on using it, potentially utilizing season-long LTIR options for an expensive, key player. This is what Golden Knights are excited about, and they’re good fans for that type of mentality. They’re on to next season.

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Keeping Up With The Cup Tough Teams In 2025-26

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On June 11, 2025

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: @_jkarsh on Instagram)

There’s an argument that the two teams left in the playoffs are the nastiest and toughest in the NHL. Everyone was well aware of the Florida Panthers’ frightening, even borderline dangerous, physicality. The Edmonton Oilers have nearly caught up with a gritty and vengeful roster of their own. This isn’t stale, old-school hockey mentality. It’s an effective and successful style that’s been proven year after year. To the teams who choose to ignore it, good luck trying to complete 16 wins over a brutal two months.

https://twitter.com/br_openice/status/1932269014144700688?s=46&t=r0w8Y_Kvlc-GpxszwwgyWQ

In their own right, the Golden Knights are also one of the league’s biggest and brawniest rosters. Captain Mark Stone is a huge dude who takes a village to move out of the crease. I can’t imagine any opponent willfully battling in the corners with Brayden McNabb or Nic Hague. Power forward Keegan Kolesar pounds and shoves the opposition for fourteen minutes a night.

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VGK Fell Flat Against Western Conference Elites In Latter Half Of Season

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On June 10, 2025

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

The Golden Knights’ season came to an abrupt end, losing four games out of five to the Edmonton Oilers. With the win, the Oilers emerged as the last team standing from the Pacific Division three of the last four seasons. The one time the Golden Knights got through them, they went on to win the Stanley Cup.

No disrespect to the others but we feel we’re the two kings of division and we’re going to have to go through them to get where we want to go. This is probably not a one-off. This has to be something you embrace if you want to be the last team standing because this probably won’t be the last time these two teams meet to get where you want to go. -Bruce Cassidy

Improvement will be necessary to clear the Edmonton hurdle in the coming seasons, and the Golden Knights seem cognizant of that.

However, the Oilers (101 pts) finished 6th in the conference in the regular season. They were behind Colorado (102 pts), Los Angeles (105 pts), Dallas (106 pts), Winnipeg (116 pts), and, of course, the Golden Knights (110 pts). While the focus on getting past Edmonton is valid, Vegas’ results against the other top teams were massively concerning in the second half of the season.

Games Against Top 6 Teams in Western Conference
5/14/25 vs EDM: 1-0 L (OT)
5/12/25 at EDM: 3-0 L
5/10/25 at EDM: 4-3 W
5/8/25 vs EDM: 5-4 L (OT)
5/6/25 vs EDM: 4-2 L
4/8/25 at COL: 3-2 L (SO)
4/3/25 vs WPG: 4-0 L
4/1/25 vs EDM: 3-2 L
3/9/25 vs LAK: 6-5 L
2/24/25 at LAK: 5-2 L
1/28/25 vs DAL: 4-3 L (OT)
1/24/25 at DAL: 4-3 L
12/14/24 at EDM: 6-3 L
12/12/24 at WPG: 3-2 W (OT)
12/6/24 vs DAL: 3-2 W
11/29/24 vs WPG: 4-3 W
11/27/24 at COL: 2-1 L (SO)
11/6/24 at EDM: 4-2 W
10/30/24 at LAK: 6-3 L
10/22/24 vs LAK: 6-1 W
10/9/24 vs COL: 8-4 W

Game 4, Reilly Smith’s miraculous 0.4-second game-winner, was the only game the Golden Knights beat a Top 6 team in the Western Conference from December 14th to the end of the season on May 14th.

They lost eight straight to end the regular season, followed by four of five to Edmonton in the playoffs. That means in the last 13 games against the five other best teams in the conference, VGK went a disastrous 1-8-4; 12 losses in 13 tries against Edmonton, Dallas, Winnipeg, Colorado, and Los Angeles.

Yeah, it’s a team that we know to win and get to where we want to be, you’re going to have to go through. But there’s other teams as well. Dallas has been there the last couple of years. LA has knocking on the door. They’re probably thinking the same thing, right? So you can’t just focus on one team in the summer, but you definitely know that that’s a team that’s going to be there come playoff time. -Mark Stone

The Golden Knights won the Pacific Division mostly on the shoulders of dominating lesser opponents. They went 4-0-0 against both Anaheim and Vancouver, 3-0-0 against Calgary, Minnesota, and San Jose, and ultimately rode a 16-0-1 record against Pacific teams not named Los Angeles or Edmonton to a banner and home-ice advantage.

But, when push came to shove, they had to work incredibly hard to beat the Western Conference’s 7th seed in the First Round, and were knocked out quickly by the 6th seed in the Second Round.

No one is asking for the bumslaying to stop, because it’s enormously helpful in taking the stress out of the regular season. But if the Golden Knights want to climb the mountaintop again, they’ll have to improve massively against the Western Conference’s best.

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Golden Knights Admit They Must Re-Visit Game Plan Against Edmonton

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On May 26, 2025

In Game Analysis

Photo Credit: Ken Boehlke, SinBin.vegas

Rightfully so, when a matchup against Edmonton is presented, the first place to look is at Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers possess two of the best players in the world, and they are each capable of winning a playoff game on their own at any point in a series. For Vegas, priority number one was to shut them down, and they thought the rest would take care of itself.

Going into the series, if you had said to me, Draisaitl has six points, McDavid had five, they had one goal and two goals. And their power play was 9%. And the series is over in five, I’m thinking, oh, we’re winning. -Cassidy

Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. Draisaitl and McDavid did not take over the series, and VGK still perished in five games.

So that’s where we’re looking at it like, okay, where did we miss on that? Well, it was the depth, a little bit of scoring, and they end up shutting us out, which, when you think of Edmonton, you think they’re going to beat you 6-4 and not 1-0. So that’s a little bit of a disappointing part of the series. I think we did do some things well against top people, and it didn’t go our way. So you have to re-look at the game plan when you play them. -Cassidy

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