Plagued by mixed results for much of the season, the Vegas Golden Knights (15-12-5) were hoping for a good start to December, with a seemingly harmless three-game road trip to New York/New Jersey. Following back-to-back wins over the Rangers and Devils, the Golden Knights dropped the road finale on Long Island in overtime.
The Golden Knights took five points in six games, a good start to December. Then Saturday came.
Red-hot backup goaltender Malcolm Subban, got a long run of games and was finding his rhythm, something few backup goaltenders ever get to experience. He played wonderfully in Marc-Andre Fleury's absence (personal) and continued playing despite the latter's Thursday return. Unfortunately for Subban, the team dropped their last two, against the Isles on the road and a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of the visiting Rangers.
Expect Fleury to return between the pipes this coming week. The team opens the week at home on Tuesday, hosting the Chicago Blackhawks (12-12-6), a team that can look like the best or the worst in the NHL on any given night. Things don't get easier, as they hit the road Thursday to visit former captain David Perron and the defending Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues (18-7-6).
Last season, the Blues were the comeback story of year. After starting the season at the bottom of the entire league, severely underachieving, the Blues quickly turned it around. A few changes including the head coach, the starting goaltender, and the team mentality went a long way in winning Craig Berube's Blues a Stanley Cup.
This season, the Blues know they're good and have been playing to their potential. Currently leading the Central Division, the Blues have unrivaled forward depth, combined with high quality defenders. Captain Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko, and Jay Bouwmeester anchor one of the best blue lines in the NHL. Up front, the Blues are led in scoring by the former Golden Knight, Perron, and the reigning Frank J. Seller Award (best defensive-forward) winner, Ryan O'Reilly.
Mix in two goaltenders with sub 2.50 GAAs and Sv % in the .920s and you get a team that's hard to beat. Whether it's Jake Allen or Jordan Binnington, the Blues have been stable in goal. While the Golden Knights have the talent to beat them, they'll need to mind their Ps and Qs to get past the defending champs.
Just one night later (Friday), the grey and gold will head to Dallas, TX to take on the Stars (17-11-3), a team that enjoyed a 4-2 home victory over the Golden Knights on November 25. Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Alexander Radulov give the Stars big scoring capability among a roster full of young, talented unknowns. With Ben Bishop in goal, the Stars have the makeup of a winner, depending on their nightly consistency and effort level.
Playing host to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday will conclude a busy week for the Golden Knights. Their goaltending will be back to normal, but they'll have to go on without the Codys, as Cody Eakin and Glass are out with matching upper-body injuries. Without those two, the team's bottom-six looks bleak, aside from budding superstar, Alex Tuch. Chandler Stephenson was brought into the mix last week, via a trade with the Washington Capitals, but is largely a low-upside depth forward.
This week could be tough for the Vegas Golden Knights considering their injuries and their competition. Fleury can always steal the team a game or two and it will be interesting to see how the Flower looks when he makes his return to game action. One thing's for sure, this week is jam-packed with action Golden Knights fans won't want to miss.
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