Fire Benning
diaper filled piss baby
If you think about it's a team full of players the rest of the league thought were worth giving away for free. To me, it's evidence that a lot of NHL teams have know idea what they're doing.
What exactly are we seeing right now from Vegas?
- Thread starter MapleLeafs9
- Start date
Everybody had to lose someone, some teams lost players they didn't want to lose, maybe because they couldn't get a deal done, or they had too many players ahead of them. I seriously doubt GMs didn't realize they were losing their 4th or 5th best defenseman or 7th or 8th best forward.
Armourboy
Hey! You suck!
Eh I wouldn't say teams thought they were worth giving away for free, but in some cases you didn't have much choice.
They benefited greatly from the expansions rule changes and the fact they were coming in solo. They had a serious leg up over previous expansion teams.
I'll be interested too see how things evolve when the salary cap comes into play for them.
They benefited greatly from the expansions rule changes and the fact they were coming in solo. They had a serious leg up over previous expansion teams.
I'll be interested too see how things evolve when the salary cap comes into play for them.
That's a very good point, and I'm not sure how many people think of it other than actually not having read it mentioned here personally until you said it. Sure, it's not the first time the League did a 1-team expansion, but taking into account the other variables that have played in Vegas' favor, having it be a 1-team expansion simply compounded those other pluses. If all of those exposed players had to have been shared with another team, surely then Vegas wouldn't be having the success they are currently having (even with the certainty that teams would have had to expose more players, it wouldn't have been even close to double as many).
I know one thing Vegas is one hell of a good team, I'm becoming a huge fan of theirs, I just love how they play the game with speed, speed and more speed, they have skill, passion and lots of heart and determination. They are for real folks, GO VGK!!!!
we are seeing how watered down and crappy the NHL product is. The fact that an expansion team can become the #1 team in the west is an absolute joke IMO and is very telling about the level of talent that the NHL actually has.
That doesn't make sense, maybe the players they drafted are just better than you thought they were. Marchessault, Neal, Perron, Tuch, Haula, Smith and Karlsson may actually just be top six forwards people, it's doesn't have to be any more complicated than that.
possesthepuck
Registered User
McOvechking
Registered User
After watching the highlights from yesterday's game, a few thoughts:
- W. Karlsson is a fantastic player.
- Offensively, they seem to always know where their linemates are. O-zone passing is phenomenal. Maybe best in the league top-to-bottom
- The Marchessault goal perfectly embodies what the Golden Knights are. Beautiful, beautiful goal. Deserves its own thread
- Goaltending has been phenomenal
- Defensively, they keep their game simple. Pucks are cleared quickly and efficiently. Leafs were given very little time and space.
- W. Karlsson is a fantastic player.
- Offensively, they seem to always know where their linemates are. O-zone passing is phenomenal. Maybe best in the league top-to-bottom
- The Marchessault goal perfectly embodies what the Golden Knights are. Beautiful, beautiful goal. Deserves its own thread
- Goaltending has been phenomenal
- Defensively, they keep their game simple. Pucks are cleared quickly and efficiently. Leafs were given very little time and space.
BKIslandersFan
F*** off
Lebowski
El Duderino
- Dec 5, 2010
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I think it says the exact opposite of what you're saying.
I'm completely and utterly flummoxed by this team. EVERYONE, and I mean everyone, had them pegged to finish in the bottom quarter tier of teams in the league, never mind the west. I remember those season prediction threads just as well as the rest of you do, so I hope no one is pretending that this isn't surprising as hell -- especially considering the goaltending injury bug they managed to win games during.
WayneSid9987
Registered User
- Nov 24, 2009
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4 lines deep up front can make up for ALOT of short comings.
Not just that but the balance of those lines with some skill, some grit and tenacity and speed throughout.
When you have all that you can defend easier as 5 man units. Just need some decently capable D-Men which they have and decently capable goaltending which they also have.
I never thought they'd be this good but when your team has won 2 Cups in a row with 4 lines deep, rolling, with a decent D and G'ing, you totally understand why and how they're doing it.
Not just that but the balance of those lines with some skill, some grit and tenacity and speed throughout.
When you have all that you can defend easier as 5 man units. Just need some decently capable D-Men which they have and decently capable goaltending which they also have.
I never thought they'd be this good but when your team has won 2 Cups in a row with 4 lines deep, rolling, with a decent D and G'ing, you totally understand why and how they're doing it.
Clark4Ever
What we do in hockey echoes in eternity...
Vegas has beaten all the top teams in the league and the sample size is substantial.
At what point is it no longer a mirage?
At what point is it no longer a mirage?
westc2
Registered User
They drafted a lot of affordable top 6 forwards and others who had potential to be top 6 forwards. There seems to be 3 keys to success. Depth, chemistry, and star power. They seem to be top tier in the depth and chemistry categories.
There were several who predicted they'd be a playoff bubble team just based on their team on paper. They were clearly way deeper than most all of the bottom teams. I'd say overall they were expected to be a middle 10 team at best though.
There were several who predicted they'd be a playoff bubble team just based on their team on paper. They were clearly way deeper than most all of the bottom teams. I'd say overall they were expected to be a middle 10 team at best though.
In hindsight, I think there should've been a bit more of an ability to predict this, although that can be said with anything.
I think most of us blindly operated on the axioms of old:
Expansion teams are f***ing GARBAGE (true for all sports too)
Instead of:
1.The league has a ton of parity, most teams are 1-2 good pieces away from being solid playoff locks or even contenders
2.The way this expansion was done was in a way to ensure they have at least an OK team
3.There are a ton of players on the team who will now have the opportunity to take their game to the next level like never before
Although, I don't think anyone could've predicted they'd be this good, I do think that we used old axioms to formulate our opinion when a more sober and unbiased view could've given us a better prediction.
I think most of us blindly operated on the axioms of old:
Expansion teams are f***ing GARBAGE (true for all sports too)
Instead of:
1.The league has a ton of parity, most teams are 1-2 good pieces away from being solid playoff locks or even contenders
2.The way this expansion was done was in a way to ensure they have at least an OK team
3.There are a ton of players on the team who will now have the opportunity to take their game to the next level like never before
Although, I don't think anyone could've predicted they'd be this good, I do think that we used old axioms to formulate our opinion when a more sober and unbiased view could've given us a better prediction.
Lebowski
El Duderino
- Dec 5, 2010
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I think we'll have a clearer picture next year when there's some expectations and pressure on the team.
Clark4Ever
What we do in hockey echoes in eternity...
If there is a negative side to this, it's that this team has set the bar very high in it's inaugural season, and will be a very tough act to follow.
Uncle Scrooge
Hockey Bettor
I think a lot of people refused to see the potential. And understandably so. Nobody can sit here and say they knew Vegas was going to be a top team.
I remember seeing their lineup first time on paper and thinking to myself "hmm, this is actually not that bad". But the biggest issue was all the variables. You could put a question mark next to every other player in terms of what they could potentially do at their best. And then there were the things nobody knew, like Karlsson.
What's funny is i think i said a lot of their success will come down to Shipachyov, and if he's able to be a legit #1 C for Vegas. Because if that was the case, then you could see a lot of potential for scoring depth and the pieces falling into place. But the biggest question mark was if they were going to struggle down the middle or not. I think GMGM saw the same thing when him and his staff were going over their likely picks and why he went after Shipachyov.
Shipachyov ended up playing 3 games and the Knights are #1 in the West by new year's. Tell GMGM that in August and he would've probably laughed at your face and say it's not april's fools yet.
Anyway you have to wonder what happens when the individual players start struggling. Columbus won 16 straight games last year. They won 4 of their last 16 games of the season. To me there's been a lot of similarities between the two teams so far, in terms of how the individual players are performing. There's no doubt Vegas is having a lot of players playing their best hockey right now. And that's never easy to maintain long-term. If it was everyone would do it.
MVP of West Hollywd
Registered User
- Oct 28, 2008
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I still think the party lights of Vegas may be the 7th man on this roster.
Look at their split stats home vs away:
AWAY
HOME
At home they are second in the league for goals against, on the road they are bottom 10. Pretty sure there is something in the water out in Vegas, and it is probably too many Four Loco for the visiting teams the night before
Look at their split stats home vs away:
AWAY
HOME
At home they are second in the league for goals against, on the road they are bottom 10. Pretty sure there is something in the water out in Vegas, and it is probably too many Four Loco for the visiting teams the night before
THall4
Registered User
I think they are playing off of 2 major factors. 1) Players are out to prove a point. 2) playing for Vegas (Vegas strong).
IMO and I may be ridiculed here, but they will come crashing down next year. A lot of their players need new contracts and are started to get the (Marchessault)...at that point the prove it factor will wither away.
IMO and I may be ridiculed here, but they will come crashing down next year. A lot of their players need new contracts and are started to get the (Marchessault)...at that point the prove it factor will wither away.
TampaBayLightning
The Asterisk Dynasty!
Golden_Jet
Registered User
- Sep 21, 2005
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They're good because they got the best expansion rules of any team.
Tampa and Ottawa had the worst.
Tampa and Ottawa had the worst.
