The Vegas Golden Knights are struggling to find their groove as the NHL season winds down, sitting third in the Pacific Division with a shaky 32-26-14 record.
They’ve got 78 points through 72 games, but their recent performance has fans worried. The team’s gone just 3-7-0 in their last 10 games, including Tuesday night’s rough 4-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.
With only 10 games left, what seemed like a sure playoff spot is now up in the air. The Los Angeles Kings and Seattle Kraken are breathing down their necks in the standings.
“Hey, is Vegas back?” That’s what fans keep asking whenever the Knights string together a couple good games. But then they’ll turn around and look completely different – slow, old, and out of sync.
The numbers tell the story. They’re sitting right in the middle of the pack – 15th in goals scored and 14th in goals against. Pretty average for a team that’s supposed to be a contender.
The Mitch Marner trade hasn’t worked out like they hoped. There have been some bright spots, like Pavel Dorofeyev stepping up with some unexpected offense, but something’s just not clicking with this team.
Goaltending has been a major issue. Adin Hill, last year’s Stanley Cup hero, hasn’t been the same guy between the pipes. The decision to give him the big contract and trade away Logan Thompson to Washington is looking questionable right now.
“I think that’s a concerning factor,” says former NHL goalie Carter Hutton. “When you looked at this team early on, it felt like everything was clicking in the right direction.”
The defending champs have just 10 games to figure things out. At this rate, they might be watching the playoffs from home – something no one expected when the season began.
