The Vegas Golden Knights have lost patience and it’s time to take out their frustrations on their opponents.
The Golden Knights begin play on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins in what is quickly turning into the most crucial home game of the season.
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site: T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada
date: Thursday, March 12
time: 7:00 (Pacific Standard Time)
How to watch: Scripps, ESPN+
radio: 1340 AM, 94.7 AM
March has been nothing short of horrific for the Golden Knights so far, winning just one of six games. Since then, Vegas has slipped from first to third in the Pacific Division, and missing the playoffs entirely has become a legitimate worst-case scenario. For the Golden Knights in this era, a failure like this opens a Pandora’s box, and the team’s motivation is to either change direction or deal with the consequences.
With so much desperation in the locker room, the Golden Knights have a lot to do to get on the right path.
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change it
The last game against Pittsburgh couldn’t have been worse, a 5-0 loss on March 1 that was a precursor to this month’s woes.
The Golden Knights can’t afford to be discouraged facing a team that utterly embarrassed them a week ago. They have to streamline their game plan, execute at a high level, and eliminate frustration from the system. It takes 100 percent effort to get back on track, and the Golden Knights need to find motivation in the worst possible way.
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In an era where goaltenders have to stay sharp, it’s unfortunate that the Golden Knights have been lukewarm in that area as of late.
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Neither Adin Hill nor Akira Schmid has a save percentage above .870 so far this month, which raises serious concerns. This puts perfect pressure on the teams in front, as turnovers often occur in the back of the net. The possibility of a complete change at the position this offseason cannot be ruled out, so this must be a period of the season where the other side regains control of the crease.
show discipline
When things go against the team, bad things tend to happen.
In the previous game against the Dallas Stars, the Golden Knights encountered free throw trouble. That ultimately led to the Stars’ game-winning field goal and cost Vegas any chance of a comeback in the third quarter. Pittsburgh has the fifth-highest power play percentage (25.1 percent), and the Golden Knights can’t afford to take their time on the ice lightly.