Tomas Hertl was named 1st Star of the Week in the NHL this past week as he posted an impressive nine points in four wins, including three goals. His week was capped off by a career-high five-point night against his former team, tying the VGK record for points in a game (Mark Stone has done it twice).
Hertl becomes the 7th different Golden Knight to achieve this honor bestowed by the NHL. He’s the 2nd to do it this season, as Pavel Dorofeyev earned the nod with five goals in three games back in October.
1st Star of the Week Tomas Hertl – January 11, 2026 Pavel Dorofeyev – October 12, 2025 Mark Stone – October 27, 2024 Mark Stone – March 7, 2021 Max Pacioretty – December 15, 2019 Marc-Andre Fleury – March 3, 2019 William Karlsson – April 1, 2018 Jonathan Marchessault – November 26, 2017
Amazingly, Jack Eichel has never taken the top spot on the NHL Stars of the Week list. He’s the only player who has ever been named 1st Star of the Month, and he’s done it twice.
Stars of the Month 1st – Jack Eichel – October 2025 1st – Jack Eichel – March 2025 2nd – Max Pacioretty – December 2021 3rd – Marc-Andre Fleury – November 2021 3rd – Reilly Smith – February 2018
One of the hallmarks of Golden Knights hockey has been resiliency. Through each of the first nine seasons, they’ve been a tough team to extend leads on. To start the 2025-26 season, they were continuing to build on that pattern.
In the first 32 games of the season, VGK trailed by more than two goals on just four occasions, and half of them were because of a late empty net goal. They allowed three straight goals just six times in those 32 games.
However, in the last seven games, it has taken a turn for the worse.
It all started on the road in Calgary. VGK fell into 2-0 hole early, scored one to get it back to 2-1, but then conceded three more times to go behind 5-1. It was the first time all season they had fallen behind by four goals without allowing an empty netter. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be the last.
It happened again. Almost the exact same game script as the games in New York, the home game against Chicago, and the one in Columbus.
No matter which team has the better run of the play, the Golden Knights keep finding themselves in a similar position where they need a late goal to tie the game. Recently, it’s been like clockwork when that goal comes.
Vs NJD: Game-tying goal at 55:49 At CBJ: Game-tying goal at 45:53 At NYI: Game-tying goal at 59:46 At NYR: Game-tying goal at 59:08 Vs CHI: Game-tying goal at 57:32 Vs OTT: Game-tying goal at 46:40 At MIN: Game-tying goal at 46:35
And these are just the recent ones, there were even more earlier in the season, including the unforgettable goal in San Jose.
Our team knows we’re never out of a game. -Bruce Cassidy
A huge piece of this is that the Golden Knights have done a great job at staying in these games once they give up the lead. It’s one thing to fall behind by one goal; it’s another to give up the next one and need to overcome a multi-goal deficit.
It is urgency. Our guys don’t like to lose so they’re going to be a little harder. Do we need a little more of that mentality early on? Of course. But that’s what happens through the course of a game in a lot of sports. As it gets closer to the end and there’s something on the line you tend to up the ante or at least our team does and I like that quality in them. -Cassidy
Recently, VGK have used the man-advantage to tie up games. Whether it was the power play last night or the empty net in both games in New York, they’ve seized the opportunity when it has arisen.
No matter who is in or out of the lineup, how it has looked up to that point, or even how well the goalie in the other net is playing, this version of the Golden Knights has the clutch comeback gene. There are a lot of characteristics that make up a Stanley Cup team, and we’re still trying to figure out how many this Vegas team has, but coming back is absolutely one of them, and this team has it.
The Golden Knights are on a bit of a skid. After the loss in Utah last night, they’ve now lost 10 of the last 15 games while amassing a record of 5-5-5.
What has made the last 15 games so tricky is that there isn’t exactly one problem plaguing the team. Puck management, goaltending, and finishing are the three that have come to the forefront most often, but digging deeper, there are plenty of areas to place the blame.
Here are some troubling facts about VGK over the past month.
VGK have not scored more than 4 goals in any of the last 12 games after doing it 4 times in the first 10 games
Jack Eichel has been on the ice for 19 of the last 37 goals VGK have allowed
VGK have a shooting percentage of 7.61% since October 30th, the 7th worst in the league
Pavel Dorofeyev has not scored an even-strength goal in November
Just three players (Saad, Korczak, Lauzon) have a + rating over VGK’s last 12 games
VGK have drawn 50 penalties while taking 39 in the last 13 games, but have scored just 1 more goal than their opponents on special teams
The 4th line has not contributed a single goal in the last 15 games
Noah Hanifin is a -6 and has been on the ice for 10 goals against at 5-on-5 since returning from injury
Mitch Marner has scored 11 points in the last 15 games, a 60-point season-long pace
A VGK goaltender has recorded a save percentage of better than .900 in 3 of the last 13 games
Tomas Hertl has 9 points in the last 12 games, but has been on the ice for 11 goals for and 11 goals against at all strengths
VGK have not won a game in which a defenseman failed to score since November 4th (10 games)
Keegan Kolesar is a -6 and has been on the ice for 8 goals against in his last 120 minutes at 5-on-5.
Jack Eichel is tied for 2nd in the league with 44 giveaways in 22 games
The Golden Knights’ power play opened up the 25-26 season absolutely on fire. In the first six games, they converted on an incredible 9 of 24 opportunities for a 37.5% hit rate. Then, Mark Stone went out with a wrist injury, and the power play went ice cold. Since Stone left, VGK’s PP is just 2 of its last 19, 10.5%, the 27th worst in the NHL in that span.
Never was it more evident than during the Nevada Day tilt with the Colorado Avalanche. The Golden Knights spent a whopping 8:29 on the man-advantage and managed to generate just three shots on goal, eight scoring chances, three high-danger chances, and a measly 0.90 expected goals. Thankfully, Tomas Hertl scored on a 4-on-3 opportunity that removed some of the sour taste from the night, but everyone involved knew it wasn’t even close to good enough.
Sometimes it’s not about scoring goals, it’s about momentum, and we allowed the momentum to go against us. We were even giving up chances on our power play. We had six of them and we have to put more than one in. -Tomas Hertl
The head coach was even firmer with his response.
I don’t care who is out there, if you aren’t executing, you aren’t scoring. That’s problem number one. We’re not winning draws like we used to so we’re not starting with the puck. Tonight our entries were slower than normal, we didn’t have as much pace. That covers every area, so yeah that’s it in a nutshell. -Bruce Cassidy
The question the Golden Knights must answer is how to fix what has been going wrong while Mark Stone is out injured.
Where VGK have been so successful with Stone in the lineup is with a play they run on the right side of the ice. Jack Eichel takes the puck on the half-wall and gives it to Stone off to the side of the goal. He can then pass it to Pavel Dorofeyev or Tomas Hertl, or take it to the goal himself. It’s a play that has worked over and over and over again for the Golden Knights since Hertl arrived in Vegas. (See my recent video breakdown of the play)
For the entire Training Camp, the Golden Knights have been focused on developing chemistry between Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner. So much so that it would be a stunning change if they don’t take the opening faceoff together on October 8th.
They aren’t putting all their eggs in one basket, though. While Eichel and Marner clearly are the primary option they’d like to see have success, Bruce Cassidy knows there will likely come a time he’ll have to split his two biggest guns up, and he’s already looking ahead to prepare for it.
In Wednesday night’s preseason game, Cassidy took the opportunity with Jack Eichel out of the lineup to put Marner on a line with Tomas Hertl and Brandon Saad. It’s a spot that’s been occupied by Pavel Dorofeyev, but there’s always been a belief that Marner could be an ideal fit with the big-bodied center.
Mitch is a right-winger, but he plays a lot like a centerman in terms of wanting the puck, handling the puck, and seeing the ice. Hertl is a center than can play like a power winger. He gets inside, he’s looking to shoot the puck when he gets between the rings. There’s an opportunity for those two to have some chemistry. I wanted to try Marner and Hertl at some point and it looked good. -Cassidy
It took about a period and a half before their offensive chemistry started to kick in, but by the 3rd period they were reading off each other well and making plays in the offensive zone.
Marner playing with Hertl would give VGK one of the most well-balanced forward lineups in the league. There would be almost no way to match up with them as one of Eichel, Marner, or Mark Stone would be on the ice almost all the time.
The key to a more balanced lineup working would be Eichel’s ability to play with a pair of wingers who do not drive play. Last year, Eichel found the most success with Stone by his side, while the year before it was Jonathan Marchessault. If Pavel Dorofeyev can fill the role, it would give Cassidy a bevy of options that would be a nightmare for opposing coaches.
Also, I was kind of joking around when I asked William Karlsson the difference between this right winger (Stone) and the one he used to play with (Marchessault). Then, he gave a great answer, so I figured I’d share it as well.
He’s a little bigger… Taller.
He reads the game super well. You’ve got to get used to the long stick because that thing has abilities that I haven’t really played with before. Just have to adjust a little bit and be ready to receive a puck when it comes. -Karlsson
A concerning trend resurfaced this week, and it’s one Golden Knights fans are going to want to turn a blind eye to.
In the last 9 years, no Stanley Cup champion has had more than 2 forwards over the age of 32. If the Edmonton Oilers win the Cup next year, they will have 9.
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.
