A true must-win game is either late in the season that if you lose, you miss qualifying for the playoffs, or an elimination game in a playoff series where you win or go home. Neither scenario fits here, but it was as close as you could come in their disappointing 3-1 loss last night to the Arizona Coyotes, one of the two worst teams in the league. Montreal is 12-33-7, Arizona is now 14-34-4, while Vegas is 29-19-4.
Granted, this has been a challenging season for the VGK, but you must put games against clearly inferior teams into your win column, especially the way things are shaping up in the Pacific Division. The L.A. Kings’ win last night knocked Vegas out of second place; the VGK are clinging to the last true playoff spot in the division with Edmonton just 3 points behind and 1 game in hand. Vegas is 7th overall in the Western Conference where only 8 teams will qualify for the playoffs.
For some reason, the Knights play down to their opponent’s skill level more than they should. I understand that in an 82-game season, you can’t be running on all cylinders every night, but where is the desperation? Where is the pride of playing for the logo that’s on your chest in a city that absolutely adores you, even if they question some of management’s unpopular player decisions? Can you blame the front office for this lack of determination? Can you blame Coach DeBoer? The answer is no. DeBoer can’t make the passes, McCrimmon can’t shoot the puck, McPhee can’t block shots.
Last night, Jonathan Marchessault was out with the flu. Also out was Dylan Coghlan and both Max Pacioretty and Mattias Janmark didn’t play in the 3rd period. But come on. The Arizona Coyotes have given up 190 goals while scoring 119. The VGK have scored 170, while giving up 153. Do the math: Arizona is a –71 in goal differential while Vegas is a plus +17.
The last 9 times these teams have played, Vegas has won 7. The last game in December, Vegas won 7-1.
Sitting comfortably in first place in the Pacific Division just a month ago, the VGK is free falling their way to a possible wild-card playoff spot if they’re lucky to right the ship here. In the last podcast “Hockey Knights in Vegas” I did with my co-host Eddie Rivkin, Eddie asked me if I was concerned about the VGK. I answered yes and mentioned the failure of the power play and their zone entry as pivotal reasons. Coming into last night’s game, Vegas was 0-19 on the power play on the road. They had 2 power-play chances in the first 5 minutes of the game and failed to convert. A goal on either changes the entire momentum of the game, especially after William Carrier scored the only VGK goal of the game 11:03 into the first period. There is a link to this podcast and all others where we dive deep into the VGK and this current season at the bottom of this post.
Tonight, they face Colorado at T-Mobile. The Avalanche were losing 3-0 last night to the Winnipeg Jets before scoring 6 unanswered goals in their 6-3 win. Can Vegas somehow turn on their determination and pride and show that they can play shift for shift with the Avs? We’ll see.
The upcoming schedule is brutal for the VGK; they play 16 games in 30 days in March and close out the season with 13 games in 29 days. There will be no time to practice their system any longer. They had last Monday through Thursday to do that before last night’s game. Not much change after 4 days of practice time, especially on the power play.
The VGK got exactly what they needed Sunday night against San Jose and got exactly what they didn’t need against Arizona. Laurent Brossoit may have been their only bright spot last night.
Other game notes and quotes.
Twelve VGK players had a minus rating in the game. Only Howden, Kolesar, Hague, and Whitecloud registered a plus rating; Pacioretty and Carrier were even.
“There wasn’t too much to like,” Reilly Smith said. “These are games we can’t lose and, especially this time of the year, it’s pretty costly.” Smith said they didn’t look past the Coyotes to a home game Saturday against the Avalanche, but “I guess in watching the game, you can have your doubts about that.”
“We had multiple chances to really put them in a hole — odd-man rushes, two power plays — and not let them hang around,” Coach DeBoer said. “And that’s what happens when you let teams hang around.”
Zach Whitecloud returned after being out since Jan. 29 (lower body) and had an assist on Carrier’s goal.
Pete DeBoer gets another crack at his 500th NHL win tonight at T-Mobile (499-348)
My 3 Stars of the Game: Hard to find 3 stars in this game especially for the VGK roster but here goes. Nick Schmaltz (2G and the GWG), Laurent Brossoit (29 saves on 31 shots), William Carrier (1G, 6 SOG, only Shea Theodore had more with a game-high 7)
Next game is tonight vs Colorado at T-Mobile at 7PM
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.
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Nick Steffen sent this comment in
I think the word we used a couple of games ago was “uninspired”. The same word applies to last night. I’m not sure where or when they are going to find their inspiration, but it better come soon. Maybe they are too busy thinking about tee times which they might find themselves using sooner rather than later.😡
Nick Steffen something is wrong they are much better than they have shown, or are they? Are we being fooled?
Joe P.
Nick Steffen replied
Joe Pane, boy, I don’t know. I was told that it isn’t just skill, but heart. We seem to be lacking in “heart”. But I am also getting concerned about the skill, especially when it comes to their shooting skill. So many games they have outshot the other team but end up with fewer pucks in the back of the net. It is really frustrating
Tony Capsouto wrote
Yep, confidence is going to suffer losing to such a terrible team.
Tony Capsouto I think they are already doubting themselves.
Joe P.
Tony Capsouto replied
Joe Pane agreed. They need a real leader out there. They need Martinez back in the ice
Christopher Couch had this comment
I just don’t see any passion from the VGK. This team looks exactly like DeBoer’s teams of the past. He may be good at schemes, but he cannot get the most out his players. He simply makes great players play average at best.
Hey Joe.
Thank`s for the recap. We didn`t see the game in Sweden because they didn`t broadcast it here.
As I have wrote to you after games against teams Vegas is a much better team.
Eva always say that Vegas is playing better against a good team and worse against a bad team. It has been like that for a long time now.
You are right when you say that DeBoer, McCrimmon and McPhee doesn`t score goals and so on.
But there is a motivation aspect to take in. There is a fine line between a team not producing and a coach losing the players ears.
I don`t know how it sounds in the locker room, but I would like to be the fly on the wall there.
Can you or Eddie get in there and install a small camera with a mic?
The condensed game on the NHL site revealed that Vegas took a lot of shots without having any net presence as usual.
Arizona tried to take away the eyes of Brossoit when they could.
The “One-man-Carousel” Carrier scored once. It was a real “snake-killer” that went through the legs of the goalie.
More shots like that one and less “Big-Time-Slappers” and Vegas wins the SC.
On the condense game-watch I saw Hague playing at a forward position around the Arizona goal. He looked pretty lost at that position.
Did I get it wrong or was it one of the secret weapons DeBoer sometimes gets out of his sleeve.
Poor Eichel had to play with Dadonov and Roy. They can`t remodel the way Dadonov and Roy play, and with so many players injured and on the Covid list DeBoer can`t be the Joe Labero of hockey. It`s just sad to see Eichel coming back and have to play with guys who aren`t on the same wavelength as him.
As Eva stated, it can only get better and as Colorado being the best team in the NHL, Vegas should be playing better by the way she see it.
And see it we will. They`ll send it on cabel-TV in Sweden.
Go Knights go
Kenneth Karlsson Hague was just crashing the net he played on defense as expected. Maybe Eva should also send in her analysis also as she seems to see this game as well as you do. The VGK continue to play down or you to their opponent’s skill level it happens so much that it’s not a random happening.
Joe P.
Kenneth Karlsson
Joe Pane We`ve been watching Edmonton at Florida and Rangers at Pittsburgh today. Both games were disappointing. Edmonton was lucky to beat the Panthers. Derek Ryan, who played for Orebro in the SHL a long time ago, scored a hat trick and Koskinen stood on his head in goal for Edmonton. Florida was in chock in the third period because they couldn`t find the net. A boring game to watch because the desperate play from Florida gave them hands made of concrete. It was like looking at a Vegas game. Rangers was clearly the better team in the first period but they couldn`t find the net either. Their hands wasn`t any softer than the Florida players. These teams didn`t like each other as the players tried to punch the opponents into an early sleep already in the first period. Shesterkin was fantastic in net. He read every shot attempt from the Penguins and made every save look easy. If he is going to be the next “King Henrik” we don`t know yet, but he can be the next franchise goalie for the Rangers. Reavo does a good job, and the opponents are afraid of getting around the boards with him in their heels. Gallant uses Reavo as he used him in Vegas, and it has helped Rangers to answer the rough and tough play by the opponents. This was also a boring game to watch because both teams had a hard time to score a goal. Typically, “the grumpy old man” Malkin scored the only goal on a PP. Eva was glad to hear your nice words. I see before me the fantastic trio in you as the GM, me as the head coach and Eva as the special team’s coach. Spott on, don`t you think? Eddie can be the press officer or what they call the guy in charge of the press conferences. That would be Law(less) and order!
I think they went in lazy and lacking heart! It’s only AZ – we can phone our game in.Much like they played against MAF and the Blackhawks. “ We’ve got this” turns into “ Whoops!
Now 3 rd place. Embarrassing for the team, their fans and management. Someone better get tough! You can’t skate on yesterday’s laurels. Time to be professional .
Douglas Carle sent this comment in
I rest my case. Wow! I don’t know what McCrimmon and Deboer have on Foley, but when you consider how quickly he got rid of both Gallant and Fleury (two individuals he openly professed his undying loyalty to) whatever they have on him must be a doozy.
Douglas Carle also added this opinion
I love your column and your insights, but I think you are being far too “politically correct “with respect to coaching and management. It is clear this coach is not capable of coaching any type of offense for this team. Does everybody forget last playoffs and the absolute abysmal power-play and lack of production by the forwards. It has carried over into this season. Come on, 0–19 on the power-play on the road. Are you for real? How does someone in the NHL keep their job as a head coach with that production (lack thereof) that we have seen for the last two seasons. At what point do people actually start to point the finger at the coach and say this is the problem. I get it that McCrimmon totally gutted the heart and soul out of the team for God knows what reason. But this coach is not capable of providing leadership and coaching at the NHL level with respect to offense. It is as simple as that.
Joe Pane
Douglas Carle, I think DeBoer is a good coach, but his problem is his loyalty to Steve Spott the power play coach. Adjustments should have been made or Spott relieved of his PP assignment.
Joe P.
Kevin Logan had this opinion
Season is not ending now, so put away all the nonsense talk, we got this!! GKG!!
Kevin Logan, I like your positivity.
Joe P.
Kevin Logan responded
Joe Pane, you know I’m a fan of yours.
Bobby Mack asked this question
Brossoit is looking good. I wonder if they’ll start doing a rotation the way they did with Fleury
Bobby Mack not a chance they are paying Robin 5 million a year not to be in a rotation. With Fleury on the team, you could justify a rotation not with Brossoit.
Joe P.
Johnny Lawless wrote
Same old story. Taking lots of shots just doesn’t win games if they don’t go in.
Jill Maddy sent this comment in
VGK has a way of finding their way back.
Kristi Scott Smith wrote
Losing 5 out of the last 6…I would say yes. This team has lost their mojo
Jacqueline Claire wrote
Not much to be positive about. Just a humble fan’s opinion. When they traded Fleury and our season began as it did, I had a bad feeling that we might miss the playoffs for the first time. I hope I’m wrong. Just seems like the fire and zest is gone, and synchronicity…well that’s just MIA. Too much change. Again, just my humble opinion.
Jacqueline Claire the fire 🔥 is missing for sure
Joe P.
Denise Chapman McClung sent this in
But DeBoer can make them practice passing. Passing has been abysmal since last season.
Steve Appleton added this to the conversation
Things would have been different this year if we had the team, we thought we were going to have. We’ve been missing key players all year.
Ed Williams wrote
How many odd man rushes does Vegas get without getting a shot on goal? They are always looking to pass the puck. You have to look to shoot first.
Ed Williams as the Great One says you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
Joe P.
Ed Williams responded
Joe Pane exactly. Some of these guys think they can pass like 99…
Brian Mishefske sent this in
We actually played well but where not finishing off! Thank God for Brossoit performance. Need to get the team back playing hard, forechecking, hitting and getting shots on net and getting those dirty goals. Tonight, is a huge test to see if this team has enough to make a playoff run or we all will be watching games on tv. Great article Joe and thank you. Go Knights
Brian Mishefske sometimes it tough to write these and try to be fair to what I observe. Some think I’m much too critical of the team and their performances.
Joe P.
Brian Mishefske responded
Joe Pane you are just expressing your take on a hockey game and well you do a very good job. You can’t make everybody happy and keep doing what you are brother. Sometimes you write stuff I missed, and I definitely appreciate it. Living on the east coast for these 10pm starts gets rough and lol I nod off. 😂 Seriously brother I enjoy your take on the game, players and coaches’ responses. Lol haters or trolls 😂Go Knights
Brian Mishefske, thank you input like yours makes my late night writing all worth it.
Joe P.
Barb Sinatra Burdo wrote this
Joe….you know the game and I think all of your articles are very objective and right on the money
Barb Sinatra Burdo thanks appreciate your support.
Joe P.
Pat Micali wrote
They’re all must win games at this point.
Pat Micali unfortunately you are correct, and tonight’s game is a steep hill to climb
Joe P.
Pat Micali responded
Joe Pane if we play like yesterday, it will be a disaster.
Pat Micali without a doubt it maybe a 7-1 blowout.
Joe P.