Vegas Golden Knights Cash In on Balance Against the Jets

After the Vegas Golden Knights finished out of the playoff mix altogether in the 2021-22 NHL season, expectations of them took a bit of a hit. 

Fast forward to mid-January of 2023, and Vegas definitely didn’t look like a genuine Cup contender. From Jan. 14 to 28, they dropped seven of eight games, and the top spot in the Pacific Division seemed to be a bridge too far for the Golden Knights.

And yet, something changed in them after the all-star break. They reeled off five straight wins and were victorious in 17 of 22 games (17-3-2). Quietly but steadily, they worked their way to the top of the Pacific, and they went 13-2-3 through the remainder of the regular season.

Now, after losing Game 1 of their first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets, the Golden Knights have taken command with three consecutive wins in which they outscored the Jets 14-8. 

The Golden Knights may not play the most thrilling brand of hockey, but they’re effective, patient and opportunistic. At the moment, they’re making Winnipeg star goalie Connor Hellebuyck look like a mere mortal.

Vegas is getting a great scoring balance through the first four games of the series. All nine of their top nine forwards have at least two points in the series, while five of their players have at least four points against the Jets. 

The Golden Knights are led in points by forwards Chandler Stephenson (four assists, six points) and Mark Stone (three assists, five points). But – again, very quietly – Golden Knights star center Jack Eichel is having a terrific start to his first-ever NHL post-season action, averaging 21:21 of ice time and generating a team-high three goals and four points in as many games.

The 26-year-old Eichel has been an active NHLer for eight seasons now, and he’s finally in a place where he’s not in a hockey fishbowl and can operate without a high amount of pressure to carry the load. The Golden Knights certainly need Eichel to thrive, but with Stephenson, Stone and forwards William Karlsson (three goals, four points) and Jonathan Marchessault healthy and contributing, Eichel doesn’t have to squeeze his stick too hard and start taking high-risk chances.

Indeed, Vegas is in firm control of the series because it has clamped down on Winnipeg’s offense, limiting the Jets to only two goals in two of the three Golden Knights wins. Vegas has kept Winnipeg’s bottom two lines almost completely off the scoresheet, and even the Jets’ top six forwards have been limited to eight goals in four games. 

The Golden Knights are getting solid enough play out of goalie Laurent Brossoit, but they’ve been adept at keeping the Jets out of high-quality scoring areas and limiting their second-chance shots in and around their net.

Is there a chance Winnipeg can win the remaining three games of this series? Sure, stranger things have happened than a first-round comeback series win. But there’s a better chance Vegas smothers what’s left of the Jets’ scoring threats and squeezes out just enough offense to win the series in five or six games.

If they do, they'll head to Round 2 against either the Edmonton Oilers or the Los Angeles Kings. Both the Oilers and Kings are better teams than Winnipeg, which means Vegas will need just as much offense, if not more, to protect Brossoit and their own zone.

But against the Jets, the Golden Knights are showing why they wound up with the best record in the Western Conference this season. Vegas is well-coached, well-balanced and experienced enough not to suffer too many lows or fool itself into too many highs. 

It’s a long, tough slog to make it to the Western final and beyond, but the Golden Knights are showing people they’ve been slept on a tad too much this year. With Eichel thriving, Vegas is positioned to do all kinds of damage in the coming weeks.