What had been a seven-game point streak for the Vegas Golden Knights came to a flat end in Saturday’s (Jan. 27) 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, the club’s final contest prior to the All-Star Break. Despite the loss, the point streak helped carry them into the break with some much-needed momentum, all the while offering another example of the Golden Knights’ penchant for soldiering on in the face of injury-related adversity.
With Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore, William Karlsson and William Carrier all sidelined, Vegas reeled off a 5-0-1 record that included a pair of wins over the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Rangers. Along the way, Brendan Brisson and Sheldon Rempal both netted their first career NHL goals and Adin Hill made a successful and long-anticipated return to the crease.
This stretch embodies the Golden Knights’ embrace of the “next man up” mentality, a collective mindset that has only grown stronger under Bruce Cassidy. And yet again, there was no shortage of players who stepped up when needed.
Jonathan Marchessault
It’s been easy to take Jonathan Marchessault for granted during his Golden Knights’ tenure. Sure, the funny, affable Quebec native is beloved by teammates and fans alike, but his steady production is so reliable that it can get overlooked at times. In situations like these (not to mention his Conn Smythe-winning playoff performance last spring), it’s nice to have a moment to appreciate how important the 33-year-old is to the organization.
Marchessault took charge during the team’s hot streak, potting eight goals and adding three assists over the six games. Visiting Madison Square Garden last Friday (Jan. 26), he recorded his seventh-career hat trick, including the game-winner, despite less than 16 minutes of ice time. As we saw in the postseason, things tend to go well for Vegas when Marchessault is hot.
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Ivan Barbashev
It was a tough first half of the season for Ivan Barbashev. Signed to a five-year, $25 million contract in the offseason to essentially replace Vegas original Reilly Smith, the former St. Louis Blue was going to have to work to gain the trust of Golden Knights fans in the best of circumstances. Unfortunately, he came out of the gates ice cold.
Fortunately for Barbashev and his teammates, it seems safe to say that the cold start is a thing of the past. Now on a dangerous line with Marchessault and Nicolas Roy that looks similarly potent to the Marchessault/Barbashev/Eichel trio from the playoffs, the 28-year-old has produced four goals and seven assists in his past six games.
Chandler Stephenson
Speaking of players who spent much of the first half not playing up to their full potential, Chandler Stephenson has taken a bit of a step back at the worst possible time. After the past two seasons resulted in impressively consistent 64- and 65-point campaigns, the 29-year-old suddenly finds himself struggling to maintain a 50-point pace in what is a contract year.
Moving up to the No. 1 center role in Eichel’s absence has been a boon to Stephenson. After suffering through a near-invisible 10-game swoon that produced a mere one assist, his injury-influenced promotion to the top line resulted in an immediate bump in production for the former Washington Capital. He recorded two goals and five assists over the next five games. Few Golden Knights have more at stake for themselves over the final 32 games of the season than Stephenson.
The good news is that there seems to be relief on the way. Karlsson has officially come off of long-term injury reserve (LTIR) and should return to the lineup after the All-Star Break. Eichel’s prognosis isn’t believed to be as bad as initially feared and he should be back before the playoffs. In the meantime, getting more out of Marchessault, Barbashev, Stephenson and any number of other Golden Knights contributors can only be a good thing as they chase the Vancouver Canucks and look to hold off the Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division.