Eichel's offensive explosion fuels the Golden Knights' hot streak. Can this star-studded lineup carry him to MVP glory?
The Vegas Golden Knights are off to a flying start to the season with a stunning 5-0-2 recorded highlighted by their recent win over the Carolina Hurricanes, who were undefeated heading into the matchup. The team has been under the national spotlight for some time after adding superstar Mitch Marner to the lineup, solidifying the Golden Knights as one of, if not, the team to beat in the Western Conference. Their success early on has been anchored by the top line duo of Jack Eichel and Mark Stone.
The pair of star forwards have a combined eight goals with Eichel and Stone ranking first and second in the league for scoring with 16 and 13 points respectively. The Golden Knights' newly improved power play with Marner being added in plus Shea Theodore returning for the start of the season healthy has seen Eichel recorded eight power play points alone.
Vegas is firing on all cylinders with the league's best offense, averaging 4.29 goals per game and this is all with ongoing injuries like Mark Stone recently being listed as day-to-day as well as elite offensive defenseman Noah Hanifin also having not played a game yet this season with an undisclosed injury.
Eichel is on a otherworldly 187-point pace this season, which seems unlikely but what is to say that he won't finish with a career-best season and finish with over 110-120 points and lead the league?
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An 18-year-old defenseman is shattering expectations, logging elite minutes and dominating the early Calder Trophy race against a loaded rookie class.
The 28-year-old center has always been in the elite player discussion with a superstar teammate holding him away from being one of the league's top five best players. To keep up with Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl plus Toronto's Auston Matthews and William Nylander, Eichel needed a star winger of his own to help him reach that upper echelon of talent in the league with Marner opening up more doors.
Eichel is coming off a career-best season, tallying 28 goals and 66 assists for a total of 94 points. However, he has shown he has the ability to add even more goal-scoring, having reached a career-high 36 goals during the 2019-20 season with the Buffalo Sabres. This season, he could potentially match or even surpass that mark as the Golden Knights’ power play remains one of the league’s most potent units, and Eichel could exceed his previous season-high of 34 points on the man advantage.
Adding another superstar like Marner into the mix creates even more advantageous matchups, as opposing teams will be forced to spread their defense thin to focus on both forwards. Eichel typically lines up with Stone and Ivan Barbashev, while Marner has found chemistry playing alongside breakout goal scorer Pavel Dorofeyev and center Tomas Hertl. The talent of the Golden Knights' top six makes it difficult for opponents to shut down their offense, ensuring the team always has an answer when one unit is neutralized or struggling.
The lineup construction and hot start to the season give Eichel his best chance yet to take home the Hart trophy and sportsbooks are quickly starting to agree with his odds moving quickly as he now sits with the third-highest odds to win league MVP with +550 odds behind Connor McDavid at +270 and Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon at +250 odds.
Rely On Larkin, Thompson Adding To Offensive Fireworks In Red Wings-Sabres Clash
Expect Larkin and Thompson to ignite the ice as red-hot Red Wings clash with surging Sabres. Count on offensive fireworks in a high-stakes divisional battle.
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