Knights on Ice — “NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS”

I covered this team for 82 games last season, along with 20 playoff games. Add to that the 58 games of the 2018-2019 season and in 160 games total, I’ve never seen Coach Gallant as pissed off as I did in his post-game presser last night following the VGK’s 5-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes at T-Mobile Arena.

He was so livid, he questioned a reporter who said he was told that Gallant stayed longer in the locker room than normal as he addressed the team.

“Who told you this?” he snapped.

The reporter was reluctant to say it, but he had to tell Gallant that it was his players.

When a second reporter tried to follow up by asking what message he imparted to the team, Gallant said, “None of your business.”

Gallant was so animated, he even flung a paper that was in front of him off the table he was sitting at. You can see this in the video that’s attached at the end of this post. He was steaming.

On the surface, of course, this all stemmed from the third-period collapse of the VGK, in which Arizona scored three unanswered goals to wipe out the two-goal comeback the VGK managed to accomplish late in the second period.

Just below the surface, for the first time in their short history, the Golden Knights have lost four games in a row at T-Mobile, where they’ve otherwise dominated other teams and not only in scoring, but in passion and a commitment to play as a team with a well-thought-out game plan and the desire to forecheck the opponent into submission, so to speak.

But I think I know the underlying reason that Gallant became unhinged with the question about him staying longer than usual following last night’s game. It’s solely my opinion, but here it is.

In the game of hockey at the NHL level, the locker room, which is called “The Room” by the players and coaches, is a sanctuary. What’s said and done in The Room is for the 20 players and their coaches. It’s their place and no outsiders are permitted in before and immediately following a game.

To put it in perspective, it’s like your bedroom with your significant other. What’s said and done in there is private and no one else’s business. So when the bond was broken by an unidentified player or players last night to members of the media, it set Gallant off. Granted, it wasn’t going to take much to push him off the edge following his team’s performance of “no passion,” “no aggressive forecheck,” and a “soft-played game.” These were Gallant’s description of his team last night.

It’s rare to see Gallant publicly showing this animated behavior. He’s the consummate professional, especially following losses. He tempers his emotions and doesn’t point fingers at individual players, for the most part. Last night he pretty much threw the entire team under the bus, due to their lackluster response to a team they should have beaten and were expected to beat—especially with their current playoff position in the Pacific. Calgary extended its lead over Vegas by 8 points and the San Jose Sharks now have a 9-point lead, with both teams having games in hand. Vegas has played 58 games, while the Flames have played 56 and the Sharks have played 57.

Is the fact that there’s no captain on this team a cause for a player or players to take the liberty of revealing private details that were spoken among the 20 players and the coaches once the coaches leave the room? A captain could have spoken up before the media entered the room to remind the players that what was just said by their head coach was for team’s ears and no one else’s.

I’ve been around hockey for a long time and the sanctuary of The Room is revered, especially at the NHL level. This in my mind was the straw that broke Gallant’s back last night. Draw your own conclusions after you watch the video. If you’d like to add your opinion, please do; I’d love to hear your take on this.

In the times that I’ve interacted with Gallant, I could always tell that he’s a loyal guy, especially to his players. Last night, I believe he felt betrayed by the players he respects and to whom he’s been loyal, through thick and thin, for 160 games.

The VGK haven’t only lost four in a row at home, but also six of their last eight games. This is a bad time for their play to drop off. The trade deadline is a very unlucky 13 days away and their recent performances may force GM George McPhee to pull the trigger on a deal to galvanize the team and get all 20 players moving as one, which was their calling card last season. They’ve lost the chip on their shoulders.

They continue to make backup goaltenders from the opposition look world-class. Last night, Arizona’s goaltender Darcy Kuemper stopped all 16 shots in the first period and only had to face nine shots in the third period. The two goals that Vegas did score came after the Coyotes had built up a 2-0 lead with two goals within four minutes and 22 seconds of each other.

Arizona’s first goal was on the power play. That now makes four games in a row that Vegas has given up a power-play goal. Just a short time ago, Vegas had the second-best penalty-killing unit among 31 teams. Coming into last night’s game, Vegad has fallen into fifth place overall, surrendering 27 PPG in 57 games.

Ironically, the Coyotes have the number-one penalty-killing unit in the league. Last night, they blanked the VGK power-play unit in their one chance. Kuemper did face a penalty shot from Reilly Smith when he was hooked from behind by Kevin Connauton at the 16:33 mark of the second period. Smith actually beat Kuemper with his shot, only to see it hit the post and stay out of the net.

Nate Schmidt tied the score up at 2-2 just 2:57 after Smith’s penalty shot. Brandon Pirri scored the VGK’s first goal 29 seconds after Alex Galchenyuk scored to put Arizona up 2-0. Pirri’s goal was his first in nine games, dating back to Jan. 15 vs. Winnipeg in a game Vegas lost 4-1.

Vegas outshot Arizona 43 to 26. Vegas also had 22 giveaways, which is very uncharacteristic of their style of play.

Is the team in a funk? Are there some internal problems causing them to seem unfocused and at times uninterested in playing 60 minutes? I wish I could answer these questions for you. But what I can tell you is they better get back on track or some players who were in The Room last night might not be here come Feb. 25. Or sooner.

My 3 Stars of the Game: Darcy Kuemper (41 saves on 43 shots), Nick Cousins (1 goal, 1 assist), Cody Eakin (primary assist on Pirri’s goal, a complete 200-foot effort, and 1 of the only 2 players for Vegas who had a + rating for the game).

The next game is tomorrow night against the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile.

Your comments and opinions are welcome and appreciated here at Las Vegas Advisor (to comment, you just have to register on the site, which takes all of 30 seconds and is free, of course). You can also contact me directly at [email protected] or visit my Facebook page, Vegas Hockey Guy.

And for the most comprehensive coverage of the Vegas Golden Knights’ historic inaugural season, take a look at our book Vegas Golden Knights—How a First-Year Expansion Team Healed Las Vegas and Shocked the Hockey World.

Here are the links to my post-game videos:

(A pissed-off) Coach Gallant

Nate Schmidt

Marc-Andre

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare