Despite a 14-6-3 record and 31 points on Friday, some critics wrote off the Vegas Golden Knights. They said they haven’t beaten any quality teams this season, pointing to lackluster games against the Washington Capitals (twice), Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs as examples.
“These Golden Knights haven’t proven themselves yet! HMPPH!”
“They’re not a legitimate Stanley Cup contender until they beat a top team.”
Well, it seems Brett Howden (two goals, including the winner) and Ivan Barbashev (also two goals) have heard enough of this silly banter. They led the Golden Knights to a decisive 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 on Friday. By the way, Howden broke his career high of nine goals on Friday.
Sure, there was no Connor Hellebuyck in net. But the Jets have found ways to win without relying solely on the two-time Vezina Trophy winner. For example, entering Friday’s game, they had the best power play in the league (33.8%). They also had the third-best offense in the NHL (3.91 goals per game).
Names like Kyle Connor (13 goals, 28 points; DOUBLE CONNOR!) and Mark Scheifele (12 goals, 26 points) have catapulted the Jets to become the fastest team in NHL history to 15 wins. So if the Golden Knights improved to 15-6-3 (33 points) while the Jets fell to 18-6-0, you can be as happy as you want. This is especially true if you won your seventh straight game against the Jets.
The Jets are 3-5-0 in their last eight games while the Golden Knights are 4-0-1 in their last five games. Not bad for a team still missing key players like Mark Stone and Victor Olofsson. That certainly makes up for the other team’s lack of Hellebuyck, especially when dealing with other players like Zach Whitecloud not in the lineup.
What’s next for the Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets?
The Vegas Golden Knights can’t rest on their laurels just yet. They have a home game tomorrow against Utah Hockey Club, another Central Division club. The “Hockey Club” wasn’t as decorated as the Winnipeg Jets this season; They have a record of 9-10-3 (21 points) heading into Friday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. On paper, it looks like an easier matchup for the Golden Knights.
Meanwhile, the Jets will play the final game of a six-game road trip against… the Dallas Stars.
Pete DeBoer’s club will give the Jets a tough test on Sunday, with big names like Wyatt Johnston (12 points) and Matt Duchene (12 goals, 14 assists) waiting for them. Dealing with a grueling 4-3 loss to the Golden Knights is never fun. It’s even worse when you’re playing against a Stanley Cup contender like the Stars two days later.
There may still be persistent rumors that the Golden Knights couldn’t get a legitimate win against a top club.
“Oh, they didn’t have Connor HelleBuYcK on the net.”
While that’s true, the Jets still had the big hitters out there in Connor and Scheifele. There were also notable names like Nikolaj Ehjers and Josh Morrissey. Still, the Golden Knights prevented the big names from breaking through tonight and… beat the best team in the NHL. It wouldn’t have been possible without Brett Howden and Ivan Barbashev putting a sock in the mouths of their critics.
