Friday, Jan. 31, 2025 | 2 a.m.
Passing is one of the things that the Vegas Golden Knights have specialized in this season. As a team, they have 297 assists on 173 goals, led by 48 assists from Jack Eichel.
On the power play, the set play between Eichel, Mark Stone and Pavel Dorofeyev has contributed to the second-highest power play goal percentage in the league.
However, coach Bruce Cassidy believed that one of the team’s strengths was its biggest weakness in Thursday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Golden Knights didn’t have enough of a “shot mentality.”
“The easiest way to break them (Columbus) down is to force them to defend big bodies and get inside, but the pucks have to arrive (to the net),” Cassidy said. “There’s a little bit of that over-pass mentality.”
At the second intermission, Cassidy said the coaching staff even reminded players to shoot the puck more. The game hit a lull in the third period, with both teams combining for just 14 shots.
Even with seven shot opportunities, Vegas did not have a high-danger scoring attempt throughout the period. Throughout the game, the Golden Knights’ defense outshot the offense 14-12.
Despite the Golden Knights’ defense being more active on offense than the forwards, they still feel like they’re not doing enough to create scoring chances.
“We just got to find ways to generate more offense, more looks, and just get back to the way it was the beginning of the year, which is a lot of traffic, point shots, tips, things like that,” Noah Hanifin said. “We’ve got a big, big group up front, and we’ve got some D that can move.”
Cassidy said that William Karlsson’s absence has affected the progression of the offense. He has missed the last five games with a lower-body injury and will likely miss the 4 Nations Face-Off, which starts on Feb. 12.
Karlsson was set to represent Sweden.
“William Karlsson drives a line, so we miss him,” Cassidy said. “He opens up ice with pace…maybe he’s able to drive pucks deep and open up some ice. We certainly missed him, but not to the point where we can’t score.”
Tomas Hertl generated the Golden Knights’ lone offense of the game, scoring his 15th point in 11 games. Ivan Barbashev scored off a rebound in the second period, but it was waived off due to goaltender interference on Eichel.
Vegas’ top line of Barbashev, Eichel and Mark Stone generated just five shots. The second line of Pavel Dorofeyev, Hertl and Victor Olofsson had nine shots.
Cassidy said the Golden Knights need to improve their offense, especially before a four-game road trip before the Four Nations Face-Off break.
They face the New York Rangers on Sunday at 3 p.m., who they’ve already lost to this season.
“Some of the other lines need to start thinking, ‘Okay, it’s not going in, let’s, let’s pull our weight with the pucks arriving,’ Cassidy said. “We’ll talk about that as we head east.”