Results are now the most important thing to the Golden Knights. The reigning Stanley Cup winners have several games remaining in the regular season against the teams chasing them, and they are currently only three points above the playoff cutline with just 14 games remaining.
Winning counts, and Vegas did not succeed in doing so last night.
Nevertheless, the Golden Knights must accomplish much more than simply accumulate enough points to qualify for the playoffs if they hope to win the championship again. They will need to play continuously excellent hockey for the remainder of the regular season and into the playoffs if they are to succeed.
Although it was not evident on the scoreboard Friday night, Vegas’ style of play was, particularly in one crucial area that has been deficient for a large portion of the year.
We tried really hard to play behind them. If you don’t have the appropriate pace and numbers in the right spots, it can be a little harder to get into the zone because Tampa normally has three players back (around the defensive blue line). -Cassidy Bruce
The success of VGK depends on their forecheck. They must be able to compel the other side to turn the puck over in their own end in order to consistently produce offense. When they do, the defense is able to be more active in the offensive zone, giving them longer possessions and more opportunities, which tends to tip the scales in Vegas’ favor.
We played the game in front of us, and that is what I really like about our boys tonight. If ice was available, we grabbed it; if not, we moved behind them. When we play at our best, that’s our game. Our team is large. We press their defense into mistakes, and the third goal is a prime illustration of that. We want to use our whole lineup—not just the players at the bottom—to generate offense in this manner. -Cassidy
Before Keegan Kolesar slipped the puck to Ben Hutton for the goal in the third period, the Golden Knights got the puck back four times, as Cassidy is mentioning.
We’re always working to improve the forecheck and make it so important to our play that every line has a chance to get the puck back. We think it’s important for each player to assess himself, determine their strengths in the attacking zone, and determine how to regain possession of the ball. “-
The forecheck as a whole benefited from having players like Paul Cotter and William Carrier back in the lineup, as Cassidy said, and it was evident last night. The outcome might not have been obvious as an opportunistic Tampa Bay capitalized on a few of errors made by Vegas, but the process is moving in the right direction, which is huge for this time of year.