Vegas Golden Knights: 3 reasons why fans should be worried
1. Blueline Blunders
The Vegas Golden Knights came into this season as a pretty well-balanced team. But if they had a weakness, it was probably their blueline. After all, their defensemen got exposed by the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Final. In five games, the Caps scored 20 goals against the Golden Knights.
Nate Schmidt’s suspension has made the Knights even more shallow defensively. And it’s certainly showing in their first five games. Usually, when a team is allowing a lot of goals, there’s a bit of a “which came first the chicken or the egg” debate – is it the defensemen or the goaltending?
Well, for the Golden Knights, it’s pretty darn simple – it’s both. Vegas is allowing cross-ice passes at an alarming rate. Against the Capitals, three of their five goals against involved the puck moving from one side of the net to the other. The Penguins exploited this weakness as well during their 4-2 win.
Without Schmidt, the Knights defensive depth has once again been exposed. Shea Theodore has been forced to be their number one defenseman. Though he has performed admirably, Schmidt’s absence has forced other defensemen into roles they are not comfortable in.
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The Golden Knights had the opportunity to trade for Erik Karlsson this summer. They say some of the best moves you make are the ones you don’t make. But the reverse is true as well – sometimes, the worst moves are the ones you don’t make. The Golden Knights have got to regret not trading for Karlsson.