Bruce Cassidy likes to say he wants his team to win what is front of them. The first object on the horizon for his Vegas Golden Knights is the Pacific Division and the final 25 games of the season are set up to be meaningful.
Vegas has won three straight and collected points in six of its last eight games and with Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks and has regained clear possession of first place in the Pacific Division. If the playoffs were to start today, No. 1 seed Vegas would play wildcard qualifier Colorado Avalanche in the first round while the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings would face off in a Pacific matchup of seeds No. 2 and No. 3.
Vegas leads the division with 74 points while Edmonton has 72 and LA is third at 67 points.
Lots of hockey remaining but that’s the picture today and with the top points percentage in the Pacific, the Golden Knights have outright control of the division.
Vegas plays LA on Monday and then will have one more game remaining against the Kings. The Golden Knights have one more regular season game left against the Oilers.
“I think your path becomes, I don't want to say easier because it's not easier, but if you can control the division it’s a good thing,” said Cassidy. “We're good at home. You control a bit of the travel element. Especially on our side, some of the travel could sting you. If you're going over to Los Angeles, that's a little different than going over to Winnipeg and Dallas for three times in a series. So, that part I think is definitely on the table for us. I think Edmonton and Los Angles are both looking at it the same way. I believe today we are in first. So, I would say yes. Absolutely winning the division is a goal. I know Winnipeg just keeps on winning, so that's going to be tough for anybody if they keep that pace up in terms of the Western Conference. We won't get ahead of ourselves. It's playoff spot first. It's the highest seed possible. It's the division. It's the conference. That’s how you check them off as you're going. Let's talk about that a little more in the middle of March and see how far down the line we are with what's reasonable and what isn’t. I’d certainly say the division is right there.”
Cassidy often talks about his team growing its game. The goal for him, his players and the entire organization is to compete for the Stanley Cup and that requires the team taking steps throughout the season. The coach says his team is getting closer to where it eventually needs to be.
“I thought it started coming around on the East Coast trip in terms of 60 minutes. We’re trying to play the right way in terms of defending and managing the puck,” he said. “So, I think our game's rounding into form. Let's see how these guys do coming out of the 4Nations. Those are guys that are high end guys. So, how does that affect them? We have to manage them, so we can keep them fresh and strong down the stretch. (William) Karlsson and (Cole) Schwindt are skating so we're getting a little healthier. (Shea) Theodore is going to be out a bit, but it's trending the right way, I would say.”
Cassidy was asked about having things in his team’s game become automatic down the stretch. Areas such as line changes, puck management decisions, limiting lapses within games and having his lines play to their identity.
“Well, there's always areas where we want to improve. I don't want to say we've tightened up in every area, but we get back to our game quicker than we did earlier in the year. I don't see lulls of half a game. I don't see that. I see stretches of a period where the other team has a push. And we're trying to get back at it,” he said. “And it's not turnover after turnover after turnover which leads to a 1-0 game becoming a 3-0 game. That's what we're seeing a lot of. That happened a bit in New York, but again, I think it's a one-off. I think we're doing a better job. So, the automatics are, ‘Hey, come on guys, let's button it up, take a breath.’ It helps that now we have four lines again. Nic Roy's line is now the fourth line. We’ve always said when they're in the lineup and playing, that's a big boost for us because they can swing the pendulum back on our way. So, that helps right now too.”
Adin Hill was tremendous on Saturday night at home against the Vancouver Canucks stopping 33 of 34 shots including turning away all 19 in the third period. His numbers have improved and he’s now 21-10-4 through 35 starts with a 2.59 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. Saturday was an example of the high end Hill can achieve and what will be needed down the stretch and into the playoffs.
“Typically it's like pitching a little bit. If their pitcher is on, you have to be on. You don't have a chance to let up,” said Cassidy. “If he's off at the other end, you can get away with a few right down the middle. So, it's a little bit of that too for the goalies. Recognizing what's going on at the other end and then be like, ‘OK. He's on. I have to be on if we expect to win tonight.’”
