There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. You should be concerned if the team you root for isn’t scoring enough and is losing more games than they’re winning. Unfortunately, that is the case for the VGK currently in this 3-game losing streak where they have been outscored 12-3.
The Vegas Golden Knights have lost three games in a row, two of them against Pacific Division opponents, which are essentially 4-point games. The first loss against the Calgary Flames was a shutout 6-0, then they were shut out by the Colorado Avalanche 2-0, and last night’s loss was against the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in overtime.
They did finally end their scoreless streak of 147 minutes and 57 seconds when Max Pacioretty scored at the 8:11 mark of the first period. Max, who hadn’t scored a goal in his last 11 games, finally broke the two scoreless droughts; Reilly Smith added a goal of his own just a few seconds shy of 7 minutes later for the VGK 2-0 lead.
One would think this was good news, but the L.A. Kings were the better team last night for most of the game. Vegas was fortunate to capitalize on their chances in the first period, scoring the 2 goals on just 7 shots on Jonathan Quick who has had his problems against the VGK. Quick had a record of 4-8-1 vs. VGK with a 4.15 GAA and a .875 save percentage coming into last night’s game. With a 2-0 lead and Quick’s dismal record against the Knights, things looked good.
Not so fast. The Kings made the most of their scoring chances with one goal in the first period on 10 shots and 2 goals in the 2nd period on just 7 shots.
On Wednesday night, we were treated to a goaltending duel between Darcy Kuemper and Laurent Brossoit. Both were excellent. That was not the case last night; both teams scored 6 goals between them on just 35 shots and we were headed to the 3rd period tied at 3-3.
The VGK’s 2-0 lead turned into 2-2 when Andrian Kempe scored a power-play goal just 30 seconds into the 2nd period after Chandler Stephenson took an undisciplined unsportsmanlike penalty as the 2 teams gathered in a scrum in front of the Vegas bench when the 1st period ended.
Max Pacioretty scored his second goal of the game to regain the lead at 3-2, only to see Phillip Danault score with just 2:43 left in the 2nd period to again erase the edge.
After a scoreless 3rd period, in overtime, Shea Theodore, in his attempt to win the game for the VGK, was caught deep in the offensive zone with only William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault back on defense as Anze Kopitar and Sean Durzi headed into the Vegas zone. Kempe was trailing the play on the 3-on-2 and took a cross-ice pass from Durzi that Brossoit had no chance on, as he was overcommitted to his left expecting the shot from Durzi. Kempe snuck in behind Brossoit and had an easy tap-in for the game winner and his 2nd goal of the night.
A valuable point was made available to the L.A. Kings just getting the game into overtime. They didn’t waste the golden opportunity to get out of T-Mobile with 2 points and sending the VGK to the 3rd loss in a row.
Vegas has now lost consecutive home games for the 2nd time this season. They lost 3 straight early in the season to St. Louis, Edmonton, and the NY Islanders Oct. 20-24 to start the season with a 1-4 record.
The 3 goals for and 12 goals against in these three losses show that there’s a lot of room for improvement. But is there enough time to get back to the top of the Pacific Division? The Calgary are winning seemingly every night now. Calgary has won 8 games in a row and lead the Pacific Division by 2 points with 3 games in hand over the VGK. The Edmonton Oilers have won 4 games in a row and trail Vegas by only 3 points with 2 games in hand. The L.A. Kings now have a 5-0-2 record in their last 7 road games, with what appears to be an easy matchup tonight vs. Arizona, whom they play again on Wednesday. If LA wins those 2 upcoming games, they will pass the VGK in the standings if Vegas lays an egg on Sunday in San Jose.
Just last week, Vegas was on top of the Pacific Division and on Sunday they could be out of a playoff spot. This is how tight the Pacific Division has become.
There were not many bright spots for the VGK last night. Yes, Pacioretty scored 2 goals and his scoring touch will be paramount in their stretch run. Jack Eichel recorded his first assist as a VGK and you can see that his tape-to-tape passes are a thing of beauty; he’ll be instrumental to the VGK, especially on their power play, which will all know needs a jump start.
The defensive performance last night was the worst I’ve seen all season. They were beat too and lost most 50/50 puck battles. They let the Kings camp out in front of Brossoit all night. They looked tired and they had no reason to be; this was just their 4th game in 17 days. What will they do in March when they will play 16 games in 30 days?
Other game notes and quotes.
Max Pacioretty on Jack Eichel: “He’s been out for so long, almost a year, so it’s kind of a line of guys trying to find their game after some absence,” Pacioretty said. “Did a better job of it tonight, had some opportunities, but still has a ways to go.”
“I didn’t love our night,” Pete DeBoer said. “We found a way to scrape a point out, but it wasn’t our finest effort. The more points we drop, the easier desperation will come.”
When Pacioretty put Vegas ahead 1-0 at 8:11 on the power play, it was the first VGK goal in 147:57, ending the longest drought in their history. It also ended a run of 11 games without a goal for Pacioretty.
“We need him to score,” DeBoer said. “Like I said, he’s a streaky scorer. He always seems to find a way to score against L.A. so we felt that there was a good chance if he was going to break out of it, it would be tonight, and he did, so hopefully it gets him rolling.”
Pacioretty has five-multi goal games this season. He has four goals in his other 18 games.
My 3 stars of the Game: Adrian Kempe (2G, including GWG, and 5 SOG), Max Pacioretty (2G, one a PPG), Jonathan Marchessault (2 primary assists on Pacioretty’s PPG and Reilly Smith’s goal that made it 2-0)
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
For more VGK content, check out the Hockey Knights in Vegas Podcast that can be found at this link or on my Facebook page.
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.
Pacioretty PPG
Reilly Smith’s goal that made it 2-0
Kempe GWG in OT
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Vegas Ron wrote this
Defense pathetic
Vegas Ron the worst I have seen in a long time, the absence of Martinez and Whitecloud has risen its ugly head.
Joe P.
Linda Ganz wrote
I’m glad i don’t have to figure out some solutions for our knights. I love this team and I’d like to see them get their groove back. #imissstone#iwantwins
Linda they are missing a number of pieces and we might not see a full team until the playoffs.
Joe P.
Linda Ganz responded
Joe Pane i want our team to do well this year. Not their fault McCrimmon bad choice got fleury traded.
Linda Ganz, I know you do, and I understand your pain. Then again, I’m an expert in PANE 😂
Joe P.
Brian Mishefske sent this opinion in
I’ll get my comments in before the headhunters, we looked slow, sluggish and out played again tonight. I was thrilled to see Max score 2 and then our defense looked like a OHL team. We just are not playing fundamental hockey; mistakes are killing this team’s chances at a win and possibly a playoff berth. The coaching staff and the GM have to make so serious decisions and soon. Great article Joe.
Brian Mishefske, I don’t believe I have ever seen them this bad on defense. Martinez and Whitecloud’s absence are the main reason for this. These 2 are as solid as they come.
Joe P.
Brian Mishefske replied to my comment
Joe Pane I’m glad you wrote that back and I definitely agree. Injuries and just not playing smart enough in the defensive zone. We just need to play smarter and out work our opponents and that just is not happening. I call it ugly hockey and many decent teams have lifted the Cup playing this style. Lol I’m old
Tom Anderson replied to Brian Mishefske
Brian Mishefske Play smarter, work harder = Unmotivated hockey = Coaching Change.
Brian Mishefske replied to Tom
Tom Anderson I can definitely see a change on the horizon! When? Who? Tortorella coaching style suits our talent level but hey it’s just my opinion.
Richard Santomauro wrote
Joe Pane The rot on this team is going to be a lot harder to fix than that.
Richard Santomauro sent this detailed opinion in
This powerhouse cap bloated roster should be blowing teams away, especially in the Pacific. The game last night wasn’t even ECHL level priceworthy. It’s the responsibility of the Head Coach to prepare his team and you would think that would be simple with this loaded roster? The VGK got outplayed last night in every aspect of professional hockey except for the scoring and goaltending, which was pretty much even. There is no team chemistry, no identity, and there appears to be a lack of unity from my perspective. There also appears to be a big lack of connection between DeBoer-ing and his players. If you take a look at the interaction between Jared Bednar and his team you will see what I am pointing out. The same goes for GG and his Rangers. At some point the VGK FO and DeBoering will have to either get this team producing or face the inevitable words for failure – “You’re fired.” Gallant got fired for not calling a timeout in a game 7 and losing 4 straight games. I thought that was ludicrous. There was a lot more going on behind the scenes there. No, I am no fan of McCrimmon, DeBoer or having an underperforming cap bloated roster and having to pay nearly $13K for my 2 season ticket seats.
Richard Santomauro valid points and at this present time they are being outskated, outhit and outworked. Last night’s effort was sub-par to say the least.
Joe P.
Richard Santomauro replied
Vegas Hockey Guy You are being very very kind with that statement!
With that much talent (on paper) the spotlight is going to soon shift to the coaching……
Marcy Gordon sent this comment in
I think Eichel played as well as he could have (after missing almost 12 months). I think some of our other players might have to find some inspiration, and quickly. When we have to become Cap compliant – someone (some two) will have to depart. The Knights better get motivated, and tomorrow is when it HAS to become a reality. We need 125% from ALL. Not just the new kid!
Marcy Gordon I could not agree more, Eichel looked poised and much better than his first game. His passes were tape to tape, and he makes the power play much more dangerous as he gets the puck to the bumper guy in the slot a lot more than they were prior to his arrival.
Joe P.
Douglas Carle wrote this
Why cannot anyone see the absolute obvious – that being that this team has done absolutely nothing and has grossly underperformed since Gallant was wrongly sacked and replaced by Deboer. Only in Vegas with McCrimmon as the general manager would Deboer still have a job after the incredibly abysmal performance in last year ‘s playoffs (with the offense – let alone the zero producing power play – being absolutely nonexistent). The off-season and the season this far have shown that Deboer has absolutely no clue how to coach an offense or to generate offense from players that, quite frankly, should be producing many times more than they are. It is not a talent issue it is a coaching and “lack of any type of offensive system issue”. This is the same Deboer/McCrimmon’s brain trust that got rid of the best goalie in hockey in exchange for a roll of tape and a broken stick.
Nothing with the Knights is going to improve as long as that tandem is at the helm.
Douglas Carle the coaching staff has been slow to make adjustments that matter on the power play. Granted with Eichel now playing they do seem to move the puck to the bumper guy now where prior to Eichel they seem to always be on the permitter with the puck.
Joe P.
Doug Carle responded
Joe Pane Joe, there is no doubt that Eichel will make a difference. He is a skilled player and even if he plays to 50% of his potential, he will be an asset. Is he worth $10 million a year – absolutely not but it is what it is I will consider it a win if he can even just match points from this point on with Tuch and Krebs (Which is highly unlikely) system problem
However, once again to restate the obvious, it’s not a talent problem, it’s a “system problem”. We had all our talent healthy in the playoffs last year and we couldn’t score a goal to save our life. Just two seasons ago we used to be a “run and gun high octane “team. Now we’re a bunch of plow horses with cement hands. Once again, I don’t believe that this is a talent issue it is simply the fact that our coach is Incapable of coaching an NHL team that will score more than one or two goals a game. It’s as simple as that and until management realizes that we are never going to be above a “hope we make it to the first round of the playoffs “team
Douglas Carle, I mentioned to Ken from SinBin.com tonight in the press box that they might not get past the second round if they continue to play like they have been.
Joe P.
Nick Steffen wrote this
Because we have so many players out DeBoer probably doesn’t have the luxury, but I think a couple of the players could benefit from watching a game or two in the press box. I sure didn’t see much hustle last night.
Nick Steffen Stone was the only injured player with us last night in the press box. Trust me he saw what the 18,238 saw an uninspiring performance in a pivotal divisional game.
Joe P.
Nick Steffen
Joe Pane, I was thinking more of a healthy scratch or two as a lesson. But as I said, I don’t think we have that luxury with the present state of our roster and points standing.
Nick Steffen we are already playing players that would not be playing if the team had a full healthy roster. So PDB hands are currently tied and most likely will be until the playoffs because of the Salary Cap.
Joe P.
Don Chambers Jr.
There’s definitely reason for concern. I’m just hoping it gets straightened out come playoff time. If we can’t get it together, I’d like them to consider bringing Torts in next season. let him slap around some guys that don’t wanna show up maybe. 🤷♂️😂
Don Chambers Jr. I have always liked Torts he gets the most out of his players in the first 2 or 3 years before he burns them out and they just start tuning him out. But a lot of veterans speak highly of him and his motivation skills.
Joe P.
Don Chambers Jr. responded
Joe Pane I could definitely see why players tune him out but sometimes it seems that’s what this team might need.
All Karma for doing Fleury dirty? Vegas has been inconsistent since their second season going on stretches of terrible play. Sometimes we’d attribute it to playing down to the competition. They’re sloppy, inconsistent, and don’t seem to have a lot of that instinctive desire to win you see in other teams like TBL, Panthers, etc. That said this is what they do. They’ll pull it together and have an amazing game and we’ll all forget these last few. You’re really seeing them miss a guy like Martinez, which with Theodore and Pietrangelo in the lineup shouldn’t be the case. Hague seems lost and has become a liability. Seems like Deboer maybe lost the room. Maybe it’s time to go with a guy like Babcock. I’m a big fan of a torts but I don’t know if his defensive style is what Vegas needs. Well they do, but I’m not sure he’s the right offensive guy.
Scott
The 2 coaches that have been mentioned today in this thread are coaches that can be difficult to manage. Torts would have everyone besides Martinez eating pucks in the defensive zone or they won’t play. Babcock plays dirty with his players pitting them against each other
If given the choice I would prefer Torts over Babcock. But with that being said PDB is working shorthanded currently.
Joe P.
Mike Guido sent his take on this in
We have 30 games left. A lot of hockey left. No there is absolutely no reason to be concerned teams like Calgary and Colorado are peaking too early. We will jell and once we get out of this rough patch we will start putting together wins! We played well against Colorado and LA. With mistakes that can be fixed. No need to panic when there is a ton of games left. I know this game very well, I played it and officiated it. People just need to calm down. Deboer will fix this. A very veteran group in that locker room will fix this. We have a very very good team. Yes, injuries have hit us hard but on positive note we are only 2 points out of first in the Pacific. Fans need to just relax. We will be fine! Stop thinking of playoffs with 30 games left. One game at a time.
Kristen Lowrimore wrote
One thing I notice is the lack of presence in front of the net most of our shot come outside the high danger areas which gives the goalies a much better chance of stopping the puck. i totally agree that the defense didn’t show up last night
Kristen that is an excellent observation but if you watched Eichel in the last 2 games his pinpoint passes are now getting to the players in the high slot especially on the power play, where prior to his arrival they were trying to score from the outside. At this level goaltenders are for the most part stopping pucks they can see from a distance.
Joe P.
Lan Byester had this comment that she sent in
Your caption was a warning to me to read this article AFTER I wake up the day after.
I’ll sum up your article with two words: They sucked.
Lan Byester, tell us how you really feel as you write this from the beach with your toes in the sand. It’s good to be Lan Byester
Joe P.
Lan responded
Joe Pane a girl needs consoling when she’s watching one too many men disappointing her.
Christopher Reade wrote this
6-6-4 since New Year’s in the Pacific Division is not stellar. With all of the sturm und drang about EDM’s foibles, they are 3 points back with 2 games in hand while CAL is 2 points up with 3 games in hand. 32 games to play is plenty of time to right the ship.
Christopher Reade, I hope you are right, but they have a very busy March schedule with injuries that they will still be plagued by from what we are being told now.
Joe P.
Hey Joe!
Thank´s for the recap. If it only could make the bad play by the VGK turn into a modern hockey team by reading your recap and the comments you recieve from us.
Richard Santomauro wrote some good stuff on your blog after the game against Colorado.
In leaning on the same thoughts.
Vegas is playing an awful kind of hockey under the coach Gutch Boring, excuse me, I`m meaning The Boar, sorry I can`t remember his name. The guy with his hands in his pockets. In Sweden we have a guy in charge of the OG team. He`s in the same mould as the Vegas “teamleader” and he`s standing still and staring the whole entire game.
“The Statue of Stagnation” has made the team play the “Alley-hoop” instead of passing the puck from the D-zone. Maybe it`s because the D-men aren`t good enough to find their team mates sticks. Except for Pietrangelo, Whitecloud and Martinez.
I compared the play in the offensive zone by both teams last night and LA played the puck to a player on the move and the passed the puck on the tape. Vegas players transported the puck more and the other players were static. That made an cycle type of play impossible. LA D-men played the puck along the blueline to get their partner in a shooting position. Vegas weren`t able to do the same due to a lack of skill. The lack of speed of Hague made that kind of play an opportunity for LA to counterattack, which happened twice with Hague as comet-tail behind the oh-so-fast LA players.
Vegas is playing a type of hockey that isn`t attractive to new fans and the older guys like me can see the holes in the roster compared to teams like Florida or Tampa. Vegas can beat them on a very, very good (k)night.
There isn`t enough talent on the team. Look at the rookies in the NHL, the best VGK rookie is Rondbjerg at 62nd place with 4 points scored in 15 games. That speaks a lot about how this team is built.
“The Stoic Statesman” can show feelings, we saw him as a coach for San Jose and he had a red face most of the time. Maybe it was because “Mr Burns” and “Jumbo Joe” refused to shave off their beards. Rumour says they had a ZZ Top look-a-like band together with Joe Pavelski. 🤣
The cool man behind the bench has ruined the soul of the Vegas Golden Knights. They used to be the most exiting team in the NHL to watch. The coach and the GM are responsible of building the roster. Just look at Tampa and Florida and how they built their teams.
These teams are the funniest teams to watch and they are SC contenders.
The Owner has bought all the promises of an SC in x-years. Chop-chop-chop! Heads will be rolling down the Strip!
Still, I`m gonna root for Vegas even if they aren`t SC contenders, but it would be great if they were.
Kenneth is back with his long comments. Phew! 😰
The defence is almost a joke.
Theodore gets a boat load of minutes to make horrendous mistakes. I`ve stopped counting them because my brain is overful and needs a reboot to survive. He´s got a rumour around the league being an Norris-Trophy contender. Have they seen him play?
Coghlan is a younger version of Theodore. Weak, prone to do mistakes with or without the puck.
His hat-trick made us hope for more. Instead our expectations were to high for him.
Hague play like a Pee-Wee in a grown mans body. Losing battles round the boards, losing his stick and losing foot-races to “One-Legged Larry”.😣😥🤐 He has got a hard shot, but he can´t even shoot through the smallest guy on the ice, “Arvy” Arvidsson.
Hutton is an up-graded AHL:er. He`s doing his best without making the same mistakes as the aforementioned players do on a daily basis. His skills are limited but he never gives up.
McNabb is an stay-at-home type of defender who could been a star a few decades ago. An shotblocker in the Martinez-class. That means the top of the NHL. Almost no offensive upside but is hard to get by from the red line and back in around of Vegas goalcrease . A hardhitter, but has a hard time to hit his team mates with passes.
Pietrangelo gets a super-tanker load of minutes and it has a bad influence on his play. Begins to make mistakes in all 3 zones the longer the game goes.
He`s a great defenceman but the minutes takes it´s toll on him. Normally a go-to guy. Play him 20-22 minutes a game and he would be a 40-50 point scorer.
Martinez is the best allround D-man on the roster. Blocking shots and skates gives him the nickname “Tony Montana”, sorry my sickened kind of humour. The only player who´s been “tripped” by the goalline after scoring a goal.
Whitecloud is the next Martinez if he gets a chance to play beside him. Is already an allround defender who can score.
Better future than Hague and Coglan! Shows no fear. “No-pain no-gain” attitude like Martinez has.
D-men at Henderson are unknown territory for me, but that doesn`t mean they aren`t future players for the VGK.
Coming up! My slaughter of the VGK offence.
Larry Loik offered his opinion on the current state of the VGK
They won’t get by teams like The Panthers or Avs if they don’t get Stone and Martinez back
Linda Ganz responded to Larry
Larry Loik 💯
Damien Garrett sent this comment in
That’s my concern about the defense needs to tighten up and be better
Tony Worsley added this opinion
We have plenty of reasons to be concerned. Lack of defense, lack of hits, lack of cohesion! There are also six teams in the West playing better than we are, so yes, there are plenty of reason for concern.
Drew Thrasher had this to say
Deboer is going to get fired, said this at the beginning of the year people here laughed
Christopher Couch sent this comment in
That game last night was pathetic. It was an embarrassing effort. So many defensemen literally standing still way too much.
I’ll start it…#fireDeBore
Larry Mackin sent this in
Team hasn’t thrown a check in weeks
Larry Mackin isn’t this the truth. Other than McNabb/Carrier no one throws a check
Joe P.
Tom Anderson replying to Brain’s coaching suggestion
Brian Mishefske Perhaps Rick Tocchet.
Brian Mishefske wrote back
Tom Anderson great choice there too. Hmm
Joe, I virtually always agree with your assessment of each game. I rarely comment, but here are my observations sitting on the ice at every game.
1. We have lost our physical presence. I see our players avoiding hard hits and we get out hit every game by at least 2 to 1. Maybe Ryan Reaves didn’t score, but he kept other teams honest in the physical play department. Keegan Kolesar is willing but really can’t fight. Will Carrier just isn’t the same presence without Reavo. The only guy really doing anything very physical is Brayden McNabb. The only way we can win is when every player is going 110% for 60 minutes. The Eastern teams are big and heavy and really stop our ebb and flow when we aren’t hitting on all cylinders.
2. Special teams are horrible. Why does Steve Spott still have a job with this team.
3. I don’t think we have a goaltending issue. I think we have a lack of commitment issue. If this team can’t get a desperate mentality we are going anywhere in the playoffs. Spending the greater part of each game in our own zone will make any goaltender look bad.
4. I do think Jack Eichel will make a huge difference, but he needs a whole team to join him. Probably 8-10 games for him to learn the system and get up to speed.
Shame on the owner. He deserves to lose. Fire the GM and The Coach, Now don’t you wish you had 29 – Marc Andre Fleury. And he put people in the seats
Kenneths Komment`s is back.
Going forward without good forwards is impossible.
Despite Covid-19 and injuries the line formations shuffle must make an croupier at the Casinos at the Strip a little shaken.
My favourite must be Kolesar on the 1st line.
I wonder how much uncertainty it sent to the forwards from the Henderson team after being called up VGK and then down again the next day. Then another player from Henderson was handled the same way.
Line 1:
Stephenson started great but Jan and Feb haven`t been as productive as end of 2021. Fantastic skater. Sometimes he doesn`t finish off his backcheck and stops skating before the play is ended. Can score a lot more because he needs to learn to be more precise when shooting at full speed. has been a big plus despite missing Stone.
Pacioretty is a pure scorer who can pass the puck. Point-a-game player who can be sought after by “Missing People”, but he pops up and score from any angle. He isn`t fast as Stevenson but have a mean streak in him that can give him the upper hand in battles in front the goal.
Stone is slower than ever, but he was hampered by a injured back. nevertheless he also is a point-per.game guy. His smartness and his takeaways, it looks like a tongue of a chameleon, makes up for his lack of speed. Can be back in the play-offs if he can stand the pain.
Second line:
Huey Dewey Louie are going to play better after the All-Star break.
Dewey (Karlsson) is getting better after the covid and the Tic-Tac-Toe will work again as usual.
When they are on their game the no-look backhand passing that leads to a scoring chance is more than you can desire from a second line.
They will have to shoot more often and use Smith to take away the goalies eyes
The only cloud on the sky is if they trade away Louie (Smith).
3rd line:
Janmark has never been a scorer. He´s a workhorse with really good speed. Can be used at the 3rd or 4th line.
Roy is a Stone wannabee without his skills. Good at takeaways. Big body but fumbles with the puck in the D-zone too often to accept.
Tough start in 2022.
Dadonov is a one-trick-pony in the O-zone. He`s weak around the boards and in front of the goal. The opponent defenders quickly learns how to play against him and hold him scoreless.
These three players are held scoreless after the All-star breake. Nothing to write home about.
Fourth line:
Kolesar has no skills and no hockey-IQ. He`s big and strong but doesn`t know how to use it.
Carrier reminds me of an Aerosmith song “Round and Round”. Except for playing the record at an speed higher than recommended.
He takes the puck and skates round and round in the O-zone until someone steals the puck from him. He`s big and strong and uses his body when needed.
Brett Howden could play on both 3rd or 4th lines after a few good games in 2022. He has a better hockey-IQ than Kolesar and Carrier.
Other players to mention:
Leschyshyn, Rondbjerg, Amadio, Patrick. I haven`t seen enough of the but someone must be better than Kolesar.
At last, hopefully the player who will help the VGK offence, Eichel. He has every tool in the box (Jack in the box) that a player needs.
It´s like the George Harrison song “Got My Mind Set On You”. He`s singing “It`s Gonna Take Time”…
Have patience with Eichel
Goodnight from Stockholm