Friday, Feb. 7, 2025 | 2 a.m.
After Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the New York Islanders, Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said that if his team stuck to its defensive identity, they’d be able to start winning again.
Coming into Thursday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, Vegas had dropped four straight and hadn’t beaten an Eastern Conference opponent on the road since late November.
The Golden Knights ended their winning drought with a 3-1 win over the Devils, and it all went back to their consistency on defense.
Vegas allowed fewer than 20 shots for a second straight game and took just one penalty. Between the Islanders’ and Devils’ shot totals, the Golden Knights sufficed just 30 shots, which is the lowest total in consecutive games in franchise history.
“We’re playing discipline hockey,” Cassidy said. “That usually means you’re not giving up shots … and you’re managing the puck the other way. That’s the secret to our success. Well, not really a secret. We take care of the puck.”
Outside of a phantom tripping call on Shea Theodore, which led to the Devils’ only goal of the game on the power play, Vegas leaned on its defensive stability to get its offense going.
Two of the Golden Knights’ three goals were scored off of shots from the point. Theodore’s wrister in the second period found the back of the net, and Jack Eichel tipped in Noah Hanifin’s attempt on the net in the third period.
Nicolas Roy scored the other goal on a breakaway in the second period.
“We’re getting through the neutral zone, which is against this team (Devils), has been difficult for a lot of teams,” Cassidy said. “We are executing at a high-level today. A lot of short passes, and we didn’t force anything, but had some speed through there (neutral zone).”
Defensive success gave Adin Hill his career-best 20th win of the season, making just 14 saves. Going into the third period, he had only faced nine shots.
It’s the lowest amount of saves he’s made in a start since March 23, 2024, when he made 12 saves in a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“It’s been a thing that’s happened a lot this year,” Hill said on facing low shot totals going into the third period. “I just kind of stay in it, make sure I’m staying mentally sharp and just being ready for when my team needs me.”
A defensive core in the structure of their game has gotten the Golden Knights through a lot. It helped them win a Stanley Cup in 2023 and could springboard them out of this monthlong rut.
This could be the momentum the Golden Knights need going into the second half of the season. Saturday’s game against the Boston Bruins is Vegas’ last before a two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The Golden Knights have not won back-to-back games since Jan. 7.
“That’s our bread and butter as a team,” Eichel said on the Golden Knights defensive identity. “Sometimes, when you’re not scoring and producing offensively, you got to stick to your structure and rely on what helps you win games.”
“For us, it’s been defense, and it’s been defense for years now.”