As we approach the midway point to the season, there are plenty of teams to watch for. The standings are beginning to take shape and some sit in good position as the playoffs draw nearer and nearer. One team that has turned heads is the Vegas Golden Knights. Things have gone great under new head coach Bruce Cassidy, but as we enter the midway point there is still room for improvement. Here we will take a look at areas of improvement for the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Teams Performance So Far
There is so much to like about this team. They have depth, goaltending, and star power in all areas of the lineup. As it currently stands, Vegas sits in a tie for first place with their rival Los Angeles Kings, but have three games in hand. The team has allowed the 13th fewest goals (125), and scored the 13th most goals (144) In all situations and 5v5 they are middle of the pack in this regard. They do a lot of great things as a team, and their record shows it. Speaking of their record, there is a glaring difference when it comes to this team playing on home ice and on the road.
What To Improve On
The area of improvement for the Vegas Golden Knights is their play on home ice. It will help propel them further when it begins to matter most. As mentioned above, Vegas is in a tie for first in the division and have games in hand. If the season ended right now, Vegas would clinch the division and have home ice advantage through the first two rounds. It sounds great in hindsight, but for Vegas, it is not as ideal. Overall Vegas is 28-14-2, however there is a huge difference in their record at T-Mobile Arena and on the road. On home ice Vegas is 13-11 but a beast on the road with a 15-3-2 record. Not only is their record better on the road, but so is the way they perform.
Performance Comparables To Improve
The way the Vegas Golden Knights perform on the road needs to transfer and improve on home ice. For example; Vegas is a middle of the pack team when it comes to scoring goals. They’ve lit the lamp 67 times on home ice, whereas they have scored 77 goals on the road. In addition, they have a +1 goal differential at home (allowed 66 goals), and on the road have allowed seven less with 59. They have a +18 goal differential on the road. It is just as important to win on the road as it is at home, and that does bode well for Vegas.
Special Teams Play
There has not been much of a difference in terms of special teams play. On the power play, Vegas has scored 14 goals on home ice, whereas they’ve scored 15 on the road. The difference in success rate is 23.8% (home) vs 26.8% (away). The power play has been a success for them as they currently have the seventh-best unit in the league. When it comes down to being short handed it is equal (78.6% success rate at home, 78.9% success rate on the road). There is not much of a difference on the road than at home, but if the Vegas Gokden Knights improves overall it is huge.
Logan Thompson
There has been one constant for the Vegas Golden Knights. Many wondered how Vegas would do in net once Robin Lehner went down for the year. But rookie goaltender Logan Thompson has taken the starting role successfully and is getting Calder Trophy attention. However, just like the team he has performed better on the road than at home. On the road, Thompson is 10-3-1 with a 2.72 GAA, and a .916 save percentage. On home ice he is 8-8 and is rocking a 2.69 GAA, and a .911 save percentage. Thompson overall this season as a 0.2 goals saved above expected, playing as he is expected to. Not only will it help him, but will help the team as well if he improves his play on home ice.
He is not the only one. Adin Hill is 5-0-1 on the road this year. However, at home he is 5-3 with a 2.32 GAA and a .914 save percentage. Both have excelled on the road and need to improve on home ice.
It Isn’t The Worst Thing
It is not the worst thing being the road warriors, especially in the playoffs. The 1994-95 New Jersey Devils did it and captured a Stanley Cup for their efforts. As it stands now, the Vegas Golden Knights are a better road team and if it improves its play on home ice it will help tremendously down the stretch. That is a very good hockey team that would love some home cooking in the playoffs.
