The best teams in hockey are predictable in their consistency when it comes protecting the puck and limiting the opposition's scoring chances. In these areas, the Golden Knights have taken a major step forward under Bruce Cassidy.
Vegas has been elite over its last 10 games in a number of key areas. The Golden Knights are 6-2-2 over this stretch, collecting points in eight of 10 games and surging to the top of the Pacific Division and Western Conference.
Saturday night, holding a 4-3 lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning heading into the third period, Vegas flexed its winning formula and gave the visitors almost no opportunity to score. It was a playoff-type game and the VGK closed it out. They choked off the Lightning offense and grinded to a regulation win.
"I loved our third period. We're doing all the things right to extend the lead and we didn't give up one scoring chance," said the coach.
Cassidy has been selling belief of late. Getting his team to bend to his will and then proffering up the results for continued buy-in.
"Part of the reason (our opponents) haven't generated much is what we've done between the blue lines," explained Cassidy. "I think it's a combination of our forwards working really hard to get out of the other end and working back to help. It's all gap related, if our D can have confidence to close their gap they'll kill some of those plays knowing the forward will cover for them if they don't get there in time. That's just a team playing the right way and it's best for the group if we play that way."
The wins have started to stack up as the team has picked up five straight. And the supporting statistics are glittering over the team's last 10 games:
57.0% xGF at 5v5 (4th in NHL)
+25 High Danger Chance differential at 5v5 (4th in NHL)
+13 in goals at 5v5 (1st in NHL)
.923 5v5 Sv% (11th in NHL)
4.3 giveaways per 60 (2nd in NHL)
8.6 takeaways per 60 (8th in NHL)
The above numbers are those of a contender. General Manager Kelly McCrimmon has built a roster with depth as well as strength down the middle and on the backend. Vegas is running Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, Chandler Stephenson and Nic Roy down the middle which is one of the NHL's best grouping of centers.
The Vegas blue line - anchored by Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb - has been excellent when the top six is all together, posting a record of 20-6-1.
Vegas has outscored its opponents 24-9 over the last five games. They've built offense from defense.
"That's the selling part for me. You tell the forwards, if you work back really hard and we're on time there's a pretty good chance you'll get yourself a puck five seconds later with a chance to attack and I think we've done a good job of that," said Cassidy.
Vegas has 26 games left on the schedule and has 72 points in a conference where the points cutoff for the playoffs will likely be right around 94. That's just 22 more points for Vegas. The playoffs are becoming more and more of a reality for this team.
Most of the simulations on hockey statistics sites have Vegas with the highest probability to win the division at this stage. Moneypuck gives Vegas the highest percentage to win the Pacific at 102 points. Micah Blake McCurdy's hockeyviz.com says the cutoff in the Pacific will be 93 points and he has Vegas winning the division with 100 points. The Athletic, as of Monday morning, has Vegas reaching 102 points and capturing the Pacific.
