Owen Krepps
We've written extensively about the Vegas Golden Knight's struggles as of late. The team has lost seven of their last eight games. Here's a rundown of where the team is at as they enter a nine-day break from game action. Spoiler alert- It's not good.
Vegas Golden Knights
Team Issues: Head coach Bruce Cassidy laid out all of the team's current problems after a Jan. 19th loss to the Detroit Red Wings. They all still ring true.
Scoring Woes: Scoring is perhaps the biggest issue right now for the VGK, who have scored three or fewer goals in six of their last seven games.
Core Piece Gone: The recent slump that the Golden Knights are on has come ever since the loss of captain Mark Stone due to injury.
Trickle-Down Affect: Now, without Stone, the Golden Knights are in a state of limbo as they can't make any other moves to improve the team.
Stars Slumping: It doesn't help that star players like Jack Eichel, Chandler Stephenson, and Reilly Smith are not performing on offense without Stone.
Biggest Star Not Shining: Jack Eichel, in particular, has not lived up to expectations. He has one point in eight games since Stone's injury and is a -8.
Not An Issue: Despite what Logan Thompson will tell you, the Golden Knight's problems recently have been far from the goaltenders' faults.
Pacific Division: Both the Seattle Kraken and Los Angeles Kings are gaining ground on the VGK in the standings, with the Alberta teams not far behind.
Standings Update: SEA 63, VGK 62, LAK 62 | EDM 60, CGY 57
In short, the Golden Knights couldn't have asked for a better time for a break, as they rest up for the final push of the regular season.
Clip of the Day: The current state of the Golden Knights, visualized into one play.
NHL News, Trade Rumors, and National Hockey Now
EBUG ALERT: Oilers emergency backup goaltender Matt Berlin got into game action in the Oilers' win over the Blackhawks Saturday night.
Colorado: Classic Jordan Binnington antics Saturday night. Alexander Georgiev played along and wanted to "talk" with Binnington.
Columbus: The Columbus Blue Jackets have claimed Lane Pederson off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks.
