{"id":137120,"date":"2023-04-29T09:01:25","date_gmt":"2023-04-29T13:01:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=137120"},"modified":"2023-04-29T09:01:25","modified_gmt":"2023-04-29T13:01:25","slug":"bruce-cassidy-making-right-moves-golden-knights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2023\/04\/29\/bruce-cassidy-making-right-moves-golden-knights\/","title":{"rendered":"Bruce Cassidy Is Making All the Right Moves for the Vegas Golden Knights"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Vegas Golden Knights<\/a> may not have been able to pull off the clean sweep, but they got as close as anyone did. Vegas went on to defeat the Winnipeg Jets<\/a> in five games. Head coach Bruce Cassidy<\/a> made all the right moves along the way. Cassidy made clear adjustments that were needed after a disappointing Game 1 for Vegas. Here is how the Golden Knights vs Jets series ends in five games. The corrections worked, as Vegas won the next four in a row to advance to the second round.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Golden Knights Vs Jets Series Ends In Five Games<\/h2>\n

What Went Wrong for Winnipeg?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Here is what went wrong in the Golden Knights vs Jets series. First, let\u2019s talk about the Jets. At the end of the day, the intensity level for the Jets just wasn\u2019t there. They were getting beat to pucks and were slower up the ice. They also weren\u2019t able to frustrate Vegas with goaltending. Connor Hellebuyck<\/a> had a fine series<\/a>, with a .886 save percentage and 3.44 GAA, but wasn\u2019t able to steal a game. Losing<\/a> Josh Morrissey<\/a>, Nikolaj Ehlers<\/a>, and Mark Scheifele<\/a> to injury didn\u2019t help morale or energy on the ice. In addition, Winnipeg just couldn\u2019t ever get their skates underneath them. Several big pieces of this Winnipeg team are reaching the end of their contracts. The Jets will likely be facing a bigger rebuild than they were expecting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Captain Makes a Difference\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

One key in the Golden Knights vs Jets series was the captain. Vegas captain Mark Stone<\/a> had been out since January with a back injury. Stone would return in time for Game 1. After watching him play in Game 1, many fans were content with the idea of letting him sit for another few games. Stone was visibly uncomfortable on the ice. In addition, he was nowhere near his normal off-puck activity and speed levels. Even Cassidy commented on it<\/a>, saying Stone was \u201crusty\u201d and that \u201cit will take time for [Mark] to get going\u201d. The lack of intensity and pace spread to the rest of the team. Winnipeg went on to a 5-1 thrashing of the Golden Knights. <\/span><\/p>\n

A reasonable action would have been to pull Stone from the lineup and return to the skaters that had gotten Cassidy to the playoffs. But he held firm, and Stone has since put up eight points<\/a> in his last four games, and is tied for fourth in playoff points behind only Roope Hintz<\/a>, Mitch Marner<\/a>, and Leon Draisatl.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stone\u2019s playmaking ability is crucial for the Golden Knights. His ability to score is great, but his passing and awareness on the ice make him truly dangerous. He creates opportunities at a breakneck speed, and this is crucial for a team that has struggled to find playoff offence in the past. Cassidy\u2019s willingness to ride out a rough game with Stone rather than return to what had worked in the regular season could come back to be one of his best ones yet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Personnel Changes<\/h3>\n

The biggest key in the Golden Knights vs Jets series was coaching. Cassidy had to make a few other key personnel decisions during the series. He stuck with Laurent Brossoit<\/a> in net after he let in five goals in Game 1, and sat NHL Ironman Phil Kessel<\/a> in Game 5 so that Will Carrier could check in after returning from injury. Cassidy was willing to sacrifice what was working for something that might be even better. He pushed for a lineup that was putting the best team on the ice, not just one that would win the games. It was a brave, decisive move that shows how serious this Vegas team is about their march to the Stanley Cup.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Forechecking a Deciding Factor\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

The forecheck was one of the biggest elements in the Jets\u2019 big Game 1 win. Winnipeg was breaking pucks out of the zone cleanly, able to find outlet passes easily and setting up goal after goal. It\u2019s seen clearly on Kyle Connor<\/a>\u2019s first goal of the series. Pierre-Luc Dubois<\/a> has almost no pressure from Vegas before a picture-perfect pass to Connor in the slot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

WHO ELSE BUT KYLE CONNOR TO SCORE OUR FIRST GOAL OF THE PLAYOFFS \ud83d\ude4c pic.twitter.com\/BYumWQGdi2<\/a><\/p>\n

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) April 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n