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Power Play Taking Strides, Despite Results Since Game 1

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On May 12, 2023

In Game Analysis

(Photo Credit: Ken Boehlke, SinBin.vegas)

Much of the discourse following Game 4 was about officiating. Both captains spent a portion of their postgame media availability talking about calls that were or were not made, and eventually Alex Pietrangelo and Darnell Nurse each found themselves suspended for Game 5.

Early in the game, there’s no question it felt like the Golden Knights were on the wrong side of the ledger in regards to the refereeing. A soft slashing call on Theodore gave the Oilers their first power play, a retaliation penalty was called on Shea a bit later, and moments before Edmonton’s third goal Mark Stone appeared to get cross-checked into the post which went uncalled.

But, before all of it happened the Golden Knights were on the power play just 30 seconds into the game and then as the calls started to even out in the 2nd, the VGK PP had a chance to dramatically alter the game.

Timely goals, we’ve talked about that a lot, and we didn’t get them, that would be the disappointing thing. -Bruce Cassidy

However, this wasn’t like many of the previous games with power play struggles this season or postseasons of yesteryear.

I thought our sustained pressure was pretty good. We shot, we recovered, we shot, we recovered, so that’s the right mindset. -Jonathan Marchessault

Our power play generated some good looks, I’ve got to give some credit to Skinner and them blocking some shots. -Cassidy

In four power plays, the Golden Knights attempted 16 shots, 10 made it on goal, and they generated 0.82 expected goals. Compare that to the historic Oilers power play who mustered up nine shot attempts, seven shots on goal and 0.86 expected goals in about the same amount of time.

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Two Important Golden Knights Have Yet To Score In 2023 Playoffs

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On May 8, 2023

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

The Golden Knights are seven games into their 2023 postseason run and eight different players have scored goals. Two names noticeably absent from that list are Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith.

They haven’t scored at all and we’ve still won five games out of seven. We feel like we have enough guys in the locker room can score goals for us. -Bruce Cassidy

However, Vegas’ offense would look a lot more potent if they were getting offensive production out of the franchise’s #1 and #2 top goal scorers all time. Smith and Marchessault have combined for 274 goals in a Golden Knights jersey not including the 34 they’ve potted in the playoffs. Marchessault’s 28 led the team this year and Smith was just one behind Eichel at 26.

Cassidy’s concern level isn’t exactly absent though. He knows they’ll eventually need more out of those two. At the moment, he believes one is a lot closer than the other to opening their playoff scoring accounts.

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Marchessault:”We’re Built To Win Games In The Playoffs”

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On March 30, 2023

In Game Analysis

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

Play the right way. It’s a term we hear a lot in hockey but it can mean different things for each team.

What does it mean for the Golden Knights? Jonathan Marchessault broke it down in explaining what went wrong against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.

You’ve got to wear their top guys down. You have to make sure they play defense. You can’t turn pucks over in the neutral zone. You have to make sure you stay out of the box. You have to check with your legs and put yourself in good positions. When you don’t have the puck you have to fight to be above it. -Marchessault

Most of what he said has essentially been turned into hockey cliches that lack true meaning. For the Golden Knights though, it really can be this simple, despite it being challenging to do especially against good teams.

The order in which Marchessault described the keys to “playing the right way” is not quite right though as many aspects lead to the next.

For me, the biggest key to every game for Vegas is puck management. Marchessault specifically pointed out the neutral zone against Edmonton, and he’s spot on there, but it can change depending on the opponent. When the Golden Knights play heavy forechecking teams, they have to be extra careful with their puck management in the defensive zone. When they play transition-reliant teams like Carolina, Florida, or Calgary, VGK must be aware to take care of the puck near the offensive blue line. Without puck management, nothing else matters for this team.

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NHL Great Patrick Roy Had A Major Impact On Marchessault’s Formative Years In Hockey

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On February 28, 2023

In Personnel

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

Jonathan Marchessault’s path to the NHL was far from the standard one for a player of his caliber. From going undrafted to spending four seasons and playing over 300 games in the AHL to bouncing around from Columbus to Tampa to Florida and eventually, Vegas, Marchessault always had to fight his way through the world of hockey.

On the recently produced episode of VGK Origins, narrated by Shane Hnidy, Marchessault dove into that “bumpy” path from his parents recommending he had a Plan B if hockey didn’t work out to becoming the leading scorer in Vegas Golden Knights history.

If you haven’t watched the episode, trust me, it’s the best 40 minutes you’ll spend today. (It’s embedded at the bottom of this article.)

A relationship with a hockey legend made a massive impact on Marchessault’s journey to the NHL. It was his coach for four seasons in the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts, the great Patrick Roy.

It’s remarkable that after he won four Stanley Cups and he’s a Fall of Hamer that he comes back here and coaches juniors. He doesn’t do it because he needs it, he does it because he’s passionate. -Marchessault in VGK Origins

Even Marchessault’s path to playing for that team was unorthodox. As Roy explains, the Remparts also owned the Midget Triple-A team Marchessault had been playing on. So, in order to keep him, they asked Roy to select Marchessault late in the draft, never expecting him to be ready for the QMJHL at age 17.

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Dad’s Trip Success Doesn’t Have To End When Everyone Heads Home

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On February 10, 2023

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

Once a year, in normal years, the Golden Knights bring the players’ fathers on a road trip. And once a year on that trip, the Golden Knights dominate.

The last two games in Nashville and Minnesota were the seventh and eighth games the Golden Knights have played with the dads in attendance, and they’ve won all but one. Even the one loss, in December 2019 in Vancouver, Vegas fell behind 3-1 at the end of the 1st and battled back to send the game to OT. On the four years of father’s trips, the Golden Knights are 7-0-1, they’ve scored at least four goals in seven of the eight games, and have outscored their opponents 35-16.

Dad’s trips have been especially successful for the Misfit Line. In the eight games, Jonathan Marchessault has two goals and three assists, William Karlsson has two goals and four assists, and Reilly Smith leads the pack with three goals, two assists, and a game-winning shootout attempt.

Unfortunately, father’s trips don’t last forever. For the Golden Knights though, success typically has continued even after the dads are gone.

In 2017-18 the Golden Knights had just experienced their first three-game losing streak of the season a week before the trip. That ended right before the trip with overtime and shootout wins against the Coyotes and Ducks. Returning home after the trip, Vegas lost in overtime to the Hurricanes in the first game back, then ripped off an eight-game winning streak.

The next year, 2018-19, Vegas had dropped back-to-back games in overtime before the Christmas break. With many of the fathers already in town gearing up for the trip, Vegas beat Colorado in the final game of the homestand. When the trip ended, they rattled off another four consecutive wins to push the win dad-inspired win streak to seven.

The Golden Knights came into the 19-20 dad’s trip playing well. A three-game win streak came to an end with the OT loss in Vancouver. Then, after the trip, they returned home and lost a game to the Avalanche before losing again on the road in Anaheim. But, like always, they quickly picked it up and won four straight.

6 Games After Dad’s Trip
17-18: 5-0-1
18-19: 5-1-0
19-20: 4-2-0

With the two wins in hand off the trip, VGK’s next six games set up nicely for them to continue the trend. Next up are a pair of winnable home games against the Ducks and Sharks, then a tricky one vs. Tampa followed by a winnable trip to Chicago, and closing out with home games against the Flames and Stars.

It’s a crucial stretch for the Golden Knights as the schedule really gets tough through the month of March. Riding the dad’s trip wave for as long as possible will go a long way to relieving pressure down the stretch.

Scoring Droughts Reaching Troublesome Heights

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On January 28, 2023

In Game Analysis

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

The Golden Knights haven’t been scoring much recently. They’re 1-5-1 in the last seven games and have scored just 15 times in those games. Six of those 15 came in the lone win which means in the previous six losses the Golden Knights have scored a total of nine goals.

The main reason for this is that the most important players on the team are not putting the puck in the net. Look at the last time each player in the top six scored a goal.

Reilly Smith – 12/31/22 – 11 games without a goal
Chandler Stephenson – 1/5/23 – 9 games without a goal
Mark Stone – 1/5/23 – 2 games without a goal (+7 games injured)
Jonathan Marchessault – 1/7/23 – 8 games without a goal
Jack Eichel – 1/12/23 – 7 games without a goal
William Karlsson – 1/24/23 – 1 game without a goal

It starts with us. There’s no secret that to win hockey games you need your best players to be your best players. We’ve got to show up and we have to find a way to produce. -Marchessault

It starts with the simple fact that these guys are shooting less. Over the past seven games, each of Eichel, Stephenson, Smith, and Marchessault have all seen their shots per game dip.

Eichel’s is the most drastic going from 3.48 on average over the course of the season to just 1.86 in the past seven games. He has just three games all season in which he’s been held shotless, two of them since Stone went out.

Stephenson’s shot totals have dipped by nearly a third too. He’s averaging 1.42 shots per game on the season and has seen just four reach the goalie in the last seven games. He does not have a single game with more than one shot on goal since January 2nd, 10 games ago.

William Karlsson, who is the only top-six player to have scored since Mark Stone’s injury is also the only one to see his shot totals increase in the captain’s absence. But, it’s up just 0.24, or about one shot on goal every four games.

Unsurprisingly, all five players mentioned above have a negative +/- over the last seven games as well. Eichel leads the charge sitting at a -8 and he’s been at least -2 in four of the last seven games.

Simply put, if the Golden Knights want to turn around their scoring, they need it to start at the top of the lineup. These five forwards are the primary players on the power play, they receive the most minutes at even strength, and many even kill penalties. If they don’t produce, the team won’t win, and that’s exactly what’s been happening lately.

Team Meetings & GM Locker Room Visits, VGK Pulling Out The Stops To Turn The Tide

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On January 21, 2023

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

In the world of professional sports, there are a few telltale signs that concern is seeping into a team. The Golden Knights have seen two of them in the last few days.

First is the team meeting. We hear it all the time for teams heading in the wrong direction that following a big loss they lock the doors and hash things out. Typically the captain and a few others in the leadership group step forward and make it abundantly clear that the losing must stop.

With the captain sidelined for the Golden Knights, someone else had to do it.

Marchy stood up and spoke to everyone and said some powerful words. We all need to look in the mirror here. Here and there it’s okay to lose if the effort’s there but the effort wasn’t there. -Keegan Kolesar

Following the shutout loss at home to Dallas, one of the few remaining players from the inagural season stood up and had some choice words.

After the game I was super disappointed so I said my piece and now we’ll move on and see how we respond tonight. -Jonathan Marchessault

Marchessault’s message was simple.

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Home Is Where The Problems Are

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On December 8, 2022

In Team Ops

(Photo Credit: Ken Boehlke, SinBin.vegas)

The Golden Knights have now lost three consecutive home games, all by at least two goals, and have scored just four times in nine periods of action at T-Mobile Arena.

After a 5-1-0 start in Las Vegas the home record has slipped to 7-6-1 while the Golden Knights continue to dominate away from the friendly confines of The Strip, posting a sterling 12-2-1 record on the road.

The question is, why?

Sometimes it’s just the way it goes. Maybe after Christmas it might switch. It doesn’t matter if we play at home or away if you are a professional hockey player you have to find a way to bring your best performance. It’s extra disappointing for our group to not show up in front of our fans because we play in the best place in the league. -Jonathan Marchessault

There’s certainly a chance coincidence plays a part but the head coach believes it goes a bit deeper than that.

Games like tonight on the road we would have found a way to stay in it. Our game management is better on the road. -Bruce Cassidy

The splits are pretty staggering to back that up.

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VANCOUVER CANUCKS 5 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 1 (16-6-1, 33 PTS)

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On November 27, 2022

In Team Ops

The Golden Knights were looking to bounce back against the Vancouver Canucks after losing to the Seattle Kraken on Friday. The Canucks got off to an early start, scoring the only two goals of the first period. Vegas took three 1st period penalties that Vancouver took advantage of.

Trailing 2-0, the Golden Knights tried to stop the bleeding, but they continued to commit costly penalties. The Canucks scored three times and took a commanding 5-0 lead after 40 minutes of action.

Vegas let out their frustrations in the final period, dropping gloves multiple times with Vancouver players. Jonathan Marchessault and Keegan Kolesar both took five-minute penalties for fighting in the final period. Marchessault even snapped the Canucks shutout, but the Golden Knights wouldn’t get any closer.

The Golden Knights record drops to (16-6-1) losing to the Canucks 5-1 at T-Mobile Arena. Next, Vegas will pack their suitcases for a four-game, ten-day road trip. Puck drop against the Columbus Blue Jackets is scheduled for 4P PT on Monday. (Recap by Jason)

(Analysis/Tweets by Alex the Intern)

Points Aside, Vegas Could Use More Offensive Impact From Jack Eichel

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On October 29, 2022

In Stats

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

The season couldn’t have gotten off to a much better start for the Golden Knights. They’re leading the West in points (14), the Pacific in goals allowed (16), and are top three in the conference goals scored (29). The Misfits are hot, goaltending has been consistent and captain Mark Stone looks like his old self. Most importantly, the team hasn’t suffered any significant injuries through nine games. All is well in Golden Knights world except for one slight concern, Jack Eichel.

In 156 minutes played, the $10 million center has eight points (3G/5A) in nine games for 0.88 points per game average. Not bad. In fact, Eichel’s eight points are tied for a team-best with Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson. So, why is Eichel’s production being brought up? Simple, he’s not doing enough when you consider his importance, salary, and talent. Especially, when you compare Eichel to other players in his tax bracket.

Points By Top Highest Paid Forwards

Connor McDavid: 15 Points (8 Goals, 7 Assists)
Artemi Panarin: 12 Points (4 Goals, 8 Assists)
Auston Matthews: 7 Points (2 Goals, 5 Assists)
John Tavares: 10 Points (3 Goals, 6 Assists)
Mitch Marner: 7 Points (2 Goals, 5 Assists)
Jonathan Toews: 5 Points (4 Goals, 1 Assist)
Aleksander Barkov: 5 Points (5 Assists)
Anze Kopitar: 7 Points (1 Goal, 6 Assists)
Jack Eichel: 8 Points (3 Goals, 5 Assists)
Tyler Seguin: 6 Points (2 Goals, 4 Assists)
Johnny Gaudreau: 8 Points (5 Points, 3 Assists)
Matthew Tkachuk: 9 Points (4 Goals, 5 Assists)

Eichel is right in the middle of his peers in points and assists but he’s on the lower end of goals and one statistic that many find a good evaluation of a player’s offensive impact. While primary assists tend to get lost in statistical blenders, they should be weighted heavier than a secondary helper. Eichel has the same amount of first assists (2) as Nic Hague and Zach Whitecloud. Chandler Stephenson on the other hand has four assists and they are all primary. Let’s not forget he’s tied for the most points and second amount of minutes played for a forward. In a sense, Eichel’s stat line should look more like Stephenson’s.

Sure, it’s nit-picking, but compare Eichel’s first assists with the league leaders.

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