What exactly are we seeing right now from Vegas?

[MapleLeafs9]

Seriously. An expansion team with 23 players that have never played together before are currently 1st place in the Western conference near midway through the season. Everyone, myself included predicted them as a bottom 5 team in the league. Every expansion team that has ever come into the NHL has had embarrassingly bad records their inaugural years no matter who they drafted and signed in the offseason.

Is Vegas a top team? A middle of the pack team getting some good puck luck? Or are we seeing a fluke from a bad team that will eventually run out of gas?

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[Machinehead]

Looking at the fancy stats, they're probably not this good, but they won't plummet as far as you might think. They're very good.

On paper, I don't get it at all, but on the ice, it's there.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

I think the surprise factor is partly due to the fact that coaching in hockey (in sports in general really) is more impactful than people generally give it credit for. And that the talent level between players now and days is not that far apart.

 

[ijuka]

They have the coaching advantage against every other team in their conference and they play a coherent style.

Maybe they also have some collective motivation.

People always focus on star power but it's the depth that really wins championships.

 

[Super Hans]

An expansion team that has already bested the 16-17 Avs after 35 games.

 

[S1N4TR4]

Gerard Gallant deserves 954x more recognition than he’s getting. This team is special. They’re almost writing a script for a movie as each game passes by. Happy for this franchise, and happy they’re in the West and not the East.

 

[Depch]

Delete

 

[Crazy Cizikas]

They stayed afloat having to have used their fifth-string goalie. This team is serious.

 

[Tomas W]

From what I seen from them, they arent a fluke. Very impressive defense, and also some scoring. The players have very quickly meshed togheter.

Karlsson plays like a stud!

 

[Syckle78]

I think what you're seeing is isn't always the best collection of players that wins. Even the bad news bears brought to you by chicos bail bonds made it to Houston to play in the astrodome.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

I don't know what to think when i see an expansion team almost toying with some of the bigger name clubs in the league.

But i like it.

 

[Bob Richards]

Vegas is so impressive that they'd probably beat history's other inaugural expansion teams in their own sports.

 

[phillyb]

One of the best stories of the year and their lineup looks like this.

Depth - Depth - Neal
Depth - Depth - Depth
Depth - Depth - Depth
Depth - Depth - Depth

Depth - Depth
Depth - Depth
Depth - Depth

MAF
Depth
Depth
Depth

There is obviosuly some sarcasm there, but holy shit. These guys brought hockey to VEGAS and have only lost TWO GAMES on home ice.

I love it.
Unfortunately, I don’t see them going far in the playoffs (smaller/tighter game, WC juggernauts to be up against) if they make it, but I’d love to be proved wrong.

 

[SotasicA]

That's what happens when players buy into a system and play hard for each other. A couple of bigger stars could even disrupt what they have going there. They have guys who fill their roles perfectly, and good depth in case a player goes down. That's more important than a star dangler or a big minute d-man.

 

[Mortivore]

Lots of guys who didnt get their chance suddenly get to prove them selves. And boy, do they prove it.

 

[Lampedampe]

Gerard Gallant deserves 954x more recognition than he’s getting. This team is special. They’re almost writing a script for a movie as each game passes by. Happy for this franchise, and happy they’re in the West and not the East.

With a movie script in mind I sure hope they fall a bit and squeeze into the play-offs with their final game of the regular season as a result of a heroic effort by fleury whom will then go onto carrying the team to a historic play-off series win against the mighty ducks.

 

[johnnybbadd]

I don’t know why Florida gave up Marchessault. The guy is super skilled and his passing skills are top notch. How do you give up a centre that scored 30 goals for you?

 

[Tomas W]

I don’t know why Florida gave up Marchessault. The guy is super skilled and his passing skills are top notch. How do you give up a centre that scored 30 goals for you?

Didnt know that about him. It looks very bad to give up on him. Was it a contract issue?

 

[Seiza]

Didnt know that about him. It looks very bad to give up on him. Was it a contract issue?

Can't really have an issue with that contract. Best contract in the league.

 

[Chloraflora]

But the talent pool isn’t deep enough for more teams guise.

 

[TheOtherOne]

There's a relevant players Tribune article called "Vegas? Vegas!" That I'm too lazy to find a link for, but reading it made me wish them success.

 

[2011 still hurts]

Is Vegas the first expansion team to be built through an expansion draft where they're the only team that gets added to the league?

If other teams in the past were in the same position Vegas is in (acquiring talent through an expansion draft and being the only team to do so) I don't understand how those teams didn't look to just acquire depth pieces at every position with 1 or 2 star players and fill every gap possible.

I think maybe Vegas, compared to the past, benefits to there being more talent league-wide these days. The "new coach, new atmosphere, change of scenery" aspect probably has something to do with the team's collective spirit. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if these players are feeling extra motivated to prove themselves and are playing with a chip on their shoulder.

 

[severian]

How much of their home record is due to how they're playing vs their opponents rolling into the arena after getting loaded the night before?

 

[johnnybbadd]

It gets worse. Florida protected the mighty Alex petrovic instead of keeping a player like March.

 

[TrufleShufle]

I think its exactly like when a single player gets waived or traded, but think they shouldn't have, then they just go on a tear for the next 10-20 games, and score a hat trick against their old team. It's like that but amplified because of the team mentality that they are all in it together. Also, they are always playing someones old team who cut them loose every night.

That, plus the fact that they basically have a bunch of second lines, full of decent players. Maybe you don't need stars, you just need everyone to know how to play hockey a decent level.