Head games or aggressive play? Either way, Golden Knights won’t bend

Vegas Golden Knights doing a good job at keeping calm and staying out of penalty box despite aggression from Florida Panthers.

The Florida Panthers spent most of Sunday’s media availability talking about how their brand of hockey is intended to rattle teams with trash talk and physical play.

Most of it comes from the notion that some Vegas Golden Knights talked about trying to get sucked into an emotional game where retaliation means more time in the penalty box for the team reacting.

But the Golden Knights aren’t built to fall into those traps.

 “Well, I would say it's more just not getting dragged into it, and then getting into that type of game, if that's what the other team wants. I do believe our team can play different ways. We’re a veteran group. We have size, we have skill, we got some pace to our game,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I think it's more about us just keeping our discipline, playing between the whistles. I don't think we get rattled by certain things. Obviously, our team has emotion, and they will play with it. But I think we've done a good job of not crossing the line. For the most part, we've taken it out of our game. The other team gets to use that as an advantage.”

The Panthers tried to drag Vegas into its style of game, but all Vegas did was chug along. It didn’t fall into after-the-whistle activities that would have resulted in penalties. They responded in a manner not fitting of a trip to the penalty box.

The Panthers, meanwhile took 11 penalties with two misconduct penalties. The misconducts took place after the game was already decided, but it was an example of how Vegas, in the face of a team that’s incredibly aggressive both between and after the whistle, just smiles and plays it game.

“We’ve done it all year as a team where we’re not going to back away from anything, but we also don’t go looking for it,” Vegas defenseman Nicolas Hague said. “If those moments are there, we’re there sticking up for each other. I think that’s what you saw in Game 1.”

That’s not to say that the Golden Knights are pushovers and soft. They’ll go to teammates aid when needed and defend themselves when needed. Adin Hill proved this when he shoved Nick Cousins for taking liberties in Hill’s crease.

“If guys are going to come into the crease and try to push me around, I’m going to stand my own ground,” Hill said. “I’m not going to do anything too crazy or get too wild, but I’m going to stand my own ground.”

Regardless of how Florida comes out in Game 2, expect Vegas not to fall into any type of after-whistle hijinks. In fact, if anyone is baiting anyone, it might Vegas trying to bait an overly emotional team into doing things that will result in more man-advantages.

"We're trying to play between the whistles, use our feet to check a lot and just try not to get caught up in a lot of it,” Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore said. “ I think we've done a good job pretty much all year kind of baiting some teams into that type of game, but our focus is between the whistles and that's the most important part."