Almost perfect Knights | Five things to know about the Golden Knights, the Canadian’s next opponents

(Las Vegas) The Canadian faces the Stanley Cup champions Monday evening in Las Vegas.

Almost undefeated

As the month of October draws to a close, no one has yet defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in 60 minutes: after nine games, they have already collected eight victories. They fell for the first time on Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks, but it was in overtime. Their 17 points in the standings are, unsurprisingly, an NHL high. The most cynical will say that three of these victories were acquired against teams in difficulty, but the Knights also beat the Dallas Stars, the Los Angeles Kings and the Winnipeg Jets, who are off to a good start. In fact, by winning their first four games, the Knights had the best start to a season in 25 years for a defending champion team.

Without fireworks

A team that has just lifted the Stanley Cup needs no introduction, and so do its players. The talent contained in this training is abundant, it is well known. However, the successes of recent weeks are not attributable to offensive fireworks. In attack, the indicators are good, but not exceptional. None of the Knights skaters are in the top 15 in the league, while the team ranks seventh in goals scored and thirteenth in power play. The team is even slightly behind in the share of expected goals at 5 against 5 (49.14%). However, his great efficiency when shorthanded (88%) works in his favor. And his goalkeeping duo is on fire: Logan Thompson and Adin Hill each have four wins and have some of the best statistics in the league. Thompson, especially, with his .930 save percentage, proves that he is back to full health after missing the end of last season and the entire playoffs due to injuries.

Best fourth line in the NHL?

The Athletic site recently asked the question: do the Golden Knights have the best fourth line in the NHL? The question is legitimate. Nicolas Roy (4 points), William Carrier (1) and Keegan Kolesar (1) may not fill the opposing net, but it is indeed difficult to imagine a fourth unit that succeeds in its mission better. The MoneyPuck site calculates that their combination has generated almost 60% of expected goals when they are on the ice, and the three forwards find themselves in the top quarter of the league for the proportion of time spent in the opposing zone. Roy, at 44.9%, is even in the 91^epercentile in this regard. Injured, the Quebecer had to miss his team’s last two matches. It is unknown, at this point, if he will face the Canadian on Monday.

Finally some squires

The Knights, during their young history, have developed little young talent, having never hesitated to liquidate first-round picks or valued prospects to obtain immediate reinforcement. The presence of three rookie players in the fall 2023 lineup is, in this regard, a breath of fresh air. So here is attacker Pavel Dorofeyev as well as defenders Brayden Pachal and Keadan Korczar. The three grew up in the organization, notably playing with the Henderson Silver Knights of the American League in recent seasons. Their presence, combined with the emergence of Paul Cotter, 23, and the departures of Reilly Smith and Phil Kessel, gives an unmistakable boost to this team, which went from 7^e at 17^e rank in the league in terms of average age, according to the Elite Prospects site.

Pietrangelo seeks his bearings

Alex Pietrangelo is not used to seeing his name at the bottom of his team’s scoring list. With only one assist in four games, that’s what’s happening to him. The veteran defenseman, who posted the best offensive performance of his career last season with 54 points in 73 games, is slow to find his rhythm, having had to deal with an upper body injury that caused him to miss five met. However, seeing the way he was used on Saturday in Los Angeles, we can assume that he is cured. His ice time of 28:37 immediately moved to 8^e highest ranking of the season in the league this season. Here’s one that, if it gets going, could help energize a power play that could have more punch. And to make, if possible, his club even better.

The meeting between the Canadiens and the Golden Knights will begin at 10 p.m., Quebec time.