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Vegas Golden Knights: 3 Lessons The NHL Can Learn From Them

By Alexandra Russo

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 27: (L-R) Oscar Lindberg #24, Tomas Nosek #92, Deryk Engelland #5 and Luca Sbisa #47 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrate after scoring a goal against the Colorado Avalanche during the game at T-Mobile Arena on October 27, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 27: (L-R) Oscar Lindberg #24, Tomas Nosek #92, Deryk Engelland #5 and Luca Sbisa #47 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrate after scoring a goal against the Colorado Avalanche during the game at T-Mobile Arena on October 27, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Las Vegas Golden Knights are the biggest surprise of the NHL this season. Here are the top three lessons every team can learn from them.

It’s no secret that the Las Vegas Golden Knights weren’t predicted to be a good team. However, they’ve done the exact opposite of every prediction and come out strong and fast to start the 2017-2018 season.

Their roster wasn’t considered to be extremely talented. And of course, in a league built on skill, that didn’t seem promising. But what the Golden Knights have done is something no one expected.

Due to their impressive start, they’ve turned a lot of heads. Analysts and fans alike are scratching their heads as to how this team can be so good. The following are the reasons they have far superseded expectations and the lessons the other 30 teams should learn from them.

1. Puck Possession

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A major part of any successful NHL team is the amount of time they possess the puck. Why is this so important? The more a team possesses the puck, the more they control play. The more they control play, the more chances they have to score. They also have less to defend against if they’re the ones taking the shots.

The Golden Knights have been excellent at dominating play. This could partly be because other teams didn’t expect them to be as good as they are and didn’t think they had to give their all when they played them.

However, they were sadly mistaken, and they now realize that they need to play their best game to beat this strong team. Every team in the league would benefit from having more puck control.

2. Speed and Hockey IQ

It’s most likely part of their coach’s style of play, but the entire team seems very fast on the ice. The reason speed should be grouped with IQ of the game is because one does not work without the other.

If a team has speed but doesn’t know how to make passes in a short amount of time, they lack IQ. Therefore, that speed isn’t helping. However, if a team knows what each player is doing and what plays to make at certain key moments, they’re a smart team. Combine that intelligence with the speed, and they have it all.

That’s exactly what the Golden Knights have, and they use it well.

3. Playing With Heart

It may sound cliche, but it’s the absolute truth. Teams that come out slow are always a step behind play. However, teams that play with motivation and desire control the pace of the game.

Winning is a combination of skill and dedication, and the Golden Knights prove that with the right mixture of the two, anything is possible. Coming into the season, the Knights knew what the league thought of them as a team, and they were determined to prove them wrong.

Next: 3 Burning Questions For Golden Knights

And they did just that. They play every game from start to finish with confidence now because they know how good they can be. This is definitely something that the other NHL teams should try to replicate in their play. After all, the ultimate prize is the Stanley Cup. What more motivation can they possibly need?

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