Knights on Ice — Stop Already and Start Paying Attention

Yes, last night the VGK lost to a desperate Winnipeg Jet team 4-0. The Jets are fighting for their playoff lives. Last night the Jets were the better team, no question about that. Are they a better team overall? Not a chance. But when you look at social media and read some Twitter comments from VGK fans and opinions of some media people, you would think that one of the following statements (or all 4) is what’s wrong with the VGK: 1) Fleury is done; Robin Lehner should have started the game; 2) There is now a goalie controversy in Las Vegas; 3) Coach DeBoer has no clue about working his lineup; 4) the 4^th line of Reaves-Carrier-Nosek has no business starting a game.

Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s completely ludicrous to even think that this is what’s wrong with the VGK, let alone say it out loud. Actually, it’s downright embarrassing.

Let me start with the Flower. Last night, it wouldn’t have mattered if Patrick Roy himself — who won 4 Stanley Cups, 3 Conn Smythe awards as the Stanley Cup playoffs MVP, 3 Vezina trophies, and 3 William Jennings trophies — had been in the net for the VGK. Roy is, in my opinion, the greatest goaltender in the modern era of the NHL. Lindsey Brown of CBS Sports radio would want Martin Brodeur instead of Patrick in the net. I say this as Lindsey and I had this conversation in the press box when the NJ Devils were in town. But no matter who the VGK goaltender was, he wasn’t going to win. The best either of these 2 goaltenders or Robin Lehner could have done was get it to a 0-0 overtime. But when you don’t score a goal, it’s impossible to prevail. The VGK have scored 1 goal in the last 2 games Fleury has started.

There is no goalie problem. Thirty other teams would die to have 2 starting goaltenders.

Now to coach DeBoer and his “poor” and “baffling” decision to start the 4^th line just about every game since his arrival on Jan 16^th — at least that’s what I’m reading on the Internet and hearing media people repeat over and over again. I didn’t know we had so many NHL-caliber coaches lingering on social media who have never been offered a job. Considering that fired NHL coaches are recycled like plastic water bottles, why are these untapped knowledgeable hockey coaches left to coach from the keyboards on Twitter and Facebook? One would think that they would at least get an interview when a coaching spot opened up. I would bet a dozen or two Krispy Kreme donuts that some who are questioning DeBoer’s lineup choices couldn’t even skate from the blue line to the top of the faceoff circle without falling on the pencil. I’m not trying to censor their opinions, just pointing out that they may not know as much as they think they know or try to tell you when it comes to fixing what’s wrong with the starting lineup for the VGK.

Granted, the VGK have given up the most first-period goals in the entire league with 72, but that’s not a clear indication that the blame should be put solely on the 4^th line because they started the game. Coach Gallant coached this team this year for their first 48 games. The 72 goals surrendered in the first periods are for all 69 games. The problem isn’t with DeBoer or, for that matter, was it with Gallant. The team itself needed a jolt, a wake-up call, and when that’s needed, guess who loses their job? The coach. And if the new coach doesn’t work out, the next step up the ladder is the GM.

DeBoer is a good coach. He has a lot of hockey knowledge, more than the pundits on social media, which allows unfettered opinions to anyone with a keyboard. DeBoer has gotten this team’s attention; they’re playing much better since he took over (13-5-2). In the 20 games he’s started the 4^th line, they’ve gotten points in 15; that’s 75% of the time.

Last night, the VGK stunk. I can say that without a doubt. But they didn’t stink because of Fleury. They didn’t look horrible because DeBoer started the 4^th line. They didn’t lose because Robin “Big Guy” Lehner was on the bench. They lost because as a team, they didn’t play well.

I can say this about the 4^th line: If you’ve been paying attention, and for the most part, I know most of you are, that line has been an important asset to this team. They may not be lighting up the scoreboard, but show me the 4^th line on any of the other 30 teams that is. At least 20 other NHL teams — and I’m being conservative here — would do an even trade for the VGK’s 4^th line in exchange for theirs.

Ranting over. Sorry if this was more than you wanted to read.

The Winnipeg Jets have an excellent goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck. Before last night, he was tied with Fleury and Elvis Merzlikins with 5 shutouts apiece so far this season. Connor now leads the NHL with six. Fleury had an off night; he had 20 saves and gave up 4 goals on the first 17 shots he faced. The first 3 goals were just pucks that were in the right place or took the right bounce.

On the first goal that the Jets scored, both Whitecloud and Holden chased the Jet player behind the net. The maligned 4^th liner Ryan Reaves was defensively sound and came down low to protect the front of the net that was left vacated; he even had his stick down to take away a passing lane. Unfortunately, the pass from behind the net hit Reaves’ stick and bounced back toward the net beating Fleury.

On the second goal, a shot from the point was blocked by McNabb, but took a fortuitous bounce right to an open Jet player, whose shot hit Holden and deflected past Fleury.

On the 3^rd goal, Nicolas Roy, the only player who looked inspired, made a blind pass just inside the VGK offensive zone. The errant pass was picked off and a 2-on-1 ensued with McNabb as the only player between the 2 Jets and Fleury. McNabb’s job is to prevent a cross-ice pass, as this will require Fleury to move quickly from one side to the other. McNabb takes the pass away; Fleury takes the shooter without having to move laterally. If you watch the replay of this goal, you’ll see McNabb look down and at that very moment, the pass was sent from Jack Roslovic streaking down the right-wing to Kyle Connor on the left-wing. Fleury tried his best to get over from the left post to the right, but Connor’s shot was just too quick and accurate. That goal made it 3-0 and the game at that point was over.

It just was a bad night for the Knights, one they need to move on from. They’re still in first place and Sunday’s game vs. Calgary is now even more important. Actually, they’re all important as the Pacific Division, which has been an adventure all season long, has the top 4 teams separated by only 6 points and the 4^th place Vancouver Canucks have played 2 fewer games than the VGK. If you do the math, if Vancouver were to win the 2 games in hand and everything else remained the same, 4 teams would be separated by only 2 to 3 points of first place. I hate to say it, but this is going to go down to the wire.

Let me close by saying there is no “I” in “team.”

The VGK win as a team and lose as a team no matter who’s playing at the beginning of the game.

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

Opening goal off Reaves’ stick

The 2-on-1 that McNabb misplayed

The goal that bounced off McNabb’s skate