The Vegas Golden Knights opened up the New Year with a loss after being shut out 3-0 by the Seattle Kraken in the Discover Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, making it the Golden Knights’ fifth loss in their last six games. The Golden Knights are now 22-11-5 and are second in the Pacific Division standings.
The Kraken have historically struggled against the Golden Knights, with this game being their second win in their 10 total matchups. The Golden Knights have also played extremely well at both ends of the ice in previous appearances against the Kraken, averaging 3.40 goals for and 1.90 goals against.
Although, the Kraken have now won five games in a row and are returning to the style of play that got them into the playoffs last season. They currently sit two points out of the top wild card spot in the Western Conference, and are six points back from the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the Pacific Division.
Joey Daccord Shuts the Door
Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord has been one of the most surprising stories in the NHL over the past month. He had a brutal month of November, putting together a 1-2-3 record along with a .877 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.07 goals-against average (GAA). In December, he managed to turn things around completely with a 5-2-3 record with a league-best .939 SV% and a 1.80 GAA.
Daccord came as advertised, stopping all 35 shots and becoming the first goaltender to ever record a shutout in a Winter Classic game. While the Golden Knights struggled to generate many dangerous chances, Daccord was still extremely composed throughout the entire game and there wasn’t a save that he looked uncomfortable making.
Things have not been going as well for Logan Thompson, who started in net for the third consecutive game and has now lost four of his last six appearances. As Adin Hill continues to deal with an undisclosed injury, Thompson has had to carry a larger load since returning from his own injury, giving him little time to get back to the top of his game. He finished December off with a .887 SV% and a 3.14 GAA, making the goaltending situation in Vegas extremely concerning.
Thompson stopped 24 of the 27 shots he faced in this game, and while the goals he gave up weren’t necessarily his fault, a game where he allows three goals will get put under the microscope based on his recent struggles.
Eeli Tolvanen had an incredible deflection on the Kraken’s opening goal after a point shot from Vince Dunn, Will Borgen hammered a bouncing puck underneath Thompson’s arm after the Golden Knights failed to pick up a loose rebound, and Paul Cotter turned the puck over to Yanni Gourde directly in front of the net, leaving Thompson with no chance.
Golden Knights’ Offense Comes Up Dry
As much credit as Daccord deserves for his efforts, the Golden Knights’ offense was uninspiring, to say the least. This is the fourth time this season that they have been shut out, which is already more times than they were shut out in the entire 2022-23 regular season (two). Over this last stretch of games where the Golden Knights have struggled, their ability to score hasn’t been a huge concern.
The Kraken played a very simple defensive game, cutting off any transition offense that the Golden Knights would try to create, which is where the Golden Knights thrive. It was very low-event hockey for the most part, with a ton of time being spent in the neutral zone, and both teams struggled to get sustained pressure on the opposition.
The Golden Knights’ forechecking was very low-effort as well. Aside from a few individual efforts, there were little to no scoring chances created by outworking the defense. The conditions of the ice seemed to affect both teams’ ability to make crisp passes, which made it tough to cycle the puck around, but there was still an overall lack of pace to their game that made it really difficult for them to compete.
With goaltender injuries and defensive struggles, the Golden Knights can’t afford to have their offense dry up at this point in the season. They’ve been fortunate that their hot start has made these losses not as impactful to their position in the standings, but there is very little room for error from here on out.
Final Thoughts
It’s a sour way to start the new year, and the schedule for the Golden Knights is only going to get more difficult. Over the next two weeks, they’ll take on some of the most dangerous teams in the league including the Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers.
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This is going to be a pivotal stretch of games for the Golden Knights. With the Pacific Division becoming increasingly competitive as the Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, and the Kraken all continue to make their way up the standings, the Golden Knights can’t afford to let these struggles continue any longer if they want to remain in contention for the division lead.