Knights on Ice — “If You Guys Want To Talk about Negatives, Go Ahead. I Don’t Have Any.”

Those exact words were basically Pete DeBoer’s last statement to the media in his post-game presser before he abruptly left the table. And who could blame him? His team played their heart out and came up 1 goal short of clinching the Honda West Division by a score of 2-1.

If they’d won last night’s game, they were assured of a first-round matchup against St Louis Blues, avoiding having to play most likely the Minnesota Wild in Round 1. And they made a valiant effort, considering the circumstances. Injuries plague all teams, but when you combine injuries with the salary cap, things get strange. So strange that the VGK were forced to play one of the best teams in the league with only 15 skaters instead of the usual 18.

Under normal circumstances, you avoid this situation by calling up some players from your minor league affiliate. But 2 things prevented this from happening. First, with less than 10 games to go in the season, teams aren’t allowed to move a player to LTIR, Long Term Injured Reserve. Second, with Vegas pressed up against the salary cap, they couldn’t move a player from the Henderson Silver Knights to fill in the roster spots that became open after the last game when Peyton Krebs took a puck to the face that fractured his jaw and Alex Martinez, who had 9 blocked shots, was unable to play.

The lineup was already reduced in the last few games, but with these 2 new injuries, along with Max Pacioretty and Tomas Nosek out, they were forced to play with 10 forwards and 5 defensemen in what clearly was the most important game in franchise history.
This is such a rare occurrence that the last time a team, the New Jersey Devils, played with only 15 skaters was on Oct. 11, 2010.

What’s even more heartbreaking about last night’s result is that despite playing shorthanded, the VGK actually turned in the better game against the team that’s currently the favorite to win the Stanley Cup.

So when Coach DeBoer was asked about his team generating only 1 shot on goal in the last 10 minutes of the game, his blood had reached a boiling point. That question was followed up by a question about a slow line change that led to a Colorado goal. DeBoer had all he was going to take and stormed off.

Truth be told, he had every reason to blow a gasket. His team was asked to perform under extreme conditions in a season that has had nothing but extreme conditions: 55 games in 116 days with 7 games played on back-to-back nights. I understand these are world-class players, but they’re not the Budweiser Clydesdales that just keep on plowing through no matter what. The loss also prevented the VGK from clinching the President’s Trophy, awarded to the team with the best record; Vegas was one win away from that accomplishment—which would have assured them of home-ice advantage for all 4 rounds.

But all is not lost. Vegas still leads Colorado by 2 points. Colorado has 2 games left, while the VGK plays its last game on Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks. If they beat the Sharks and Colorado wins only 1 of the 2 remaining games against the L.A. Kings, the Knights would still achieve what they fell just short of last night. Colorado plays back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday vs. L.A. in Colorado. It won’t be easy, but the Hockey gods, have a way of making things right. Trust me, the valiant effort that Vegas showed last night should not go unrewarded.

Could a win on Wednesday in San Jose and a loss in one of the 2 games for Colorado against the L.A. Kings be the sequel to the original movie, Valiant (about the team’s first season)? In Valiant Part 2, they win the Honda West Division and the President’s Trophy and make a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final. The only difference is in 2021, they’re not denied the completion of their mission, which was delayed for a more dramatic ending.

Like Coach Deboer, let’s talk and think about the positives. Or as Yogi Berra would say, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Pete DeBoer, kudos for having your team’s back. You made a lot of friends last night, especially the 15 skaters who played their hearts out for you, themselves, the 7,567 in attendance at T-Mobile, and the entire city of Las Vegas.

My 3 Stars of the Game
1) The entire VGK team — all 15 of them
2) Pete DeBoer, who took a bullet for his team last night
3) The 7,567 who rocked the building last night right till the very last second.

Next game is tomorrow vs. San Jose at 6 p.m. Pacific Time at SAP Center.

If you want to hear and see more VGK content please check out the podcast I do with Eddie Rivkin on YouTube, “Hockey Knights in Vegas.”

Your comments and opinions are welcome here at Las Vegas Advisor or you may contact me directly at [email protected] or on my Facebook page or the Facebook page of Vegas Hockey Guy or on Twitter @TheRealJoePane

One other note: If you’re reading this blog from Facebook or Twitter and would like to access it earlier in the morning before I share it on social media, it’s usually published by 8 a.m. the morning after a game on LasVegasAdvisor.com. What better way is there to enjoy your morning coffee than reading my take on last night’s VGK game?

Pietrangelo’s opening goal

Compher’s winning goal