That would be Oscar Dansk, Dylan Ferguson, Marc-Andre Fleury Maxime Lagace and Malcolm Subban. Hmmmm...Problems in net? Team is 15-7-1 in their inaugural NHL campaign in 2017/18. So much for the, "Expansion team, 2 points," theory that 30 other NHL teams had.
Vegas is in 1st place in the Pacific Division. 4 points behind St. Louis for first in the Western Conference with 2 games in hand. This is all really happening!
So what's been happening in goal?
Injuries.
Not that it matters. The team has found a way to win. Somehow, the five of net guardians have provided steady goaltending. Although, the 19-year-old Dylan Ferguson has played in just one game. Care to bet that he'll appear again? Why not?
The team started the season with veteran goalie Marc Andre-Fleury. So far in his NHL career, which began way back in 2003/04 with Pittsburgh, he's got 3 Stanley Cups, including a huge role in the Pens more recent win, last season. But after posting some impressive numbers in his first 3 starts (Winning then all), Fleury was injured in a loss to Detroit on October 13. So it was Malcolm Subban, with all of just two 31-minute NHL games over the last two seasons, in between the pipes 2 nights later.
But Subban, the younger brother of the Nashville Predators' star defenceman, won the game 3-1. It was his first NHL win. It would not be his last. He beat Buffalo 5-4 in the Knights' next game, then played, but was pulled against the St. Louis Blues on October 21st. Not to worry, Oscar Dansk came in to play, and ended up the winning goalie in OT.
Dansk has since posted some amazing numbers. He's 3-0 with a GAA of just 1.78. But at the end of the month, he was placed on the IR with an injury to his lower body. He had recorded the team's very first shutout when Oscar beat the Avs' 7-0 on the 27th.
Maxim Lagace took over for Dansk in a game against the New York Islanders on the 30th, but took the loss, allowing 4 goals in relief. Lagace lost to New York Rangers and Boston, but found his groove, going 5-2-1 since. But his S% suggest the team is playing well in front of him. It's below .900 (.887 in his 9 games, having a no-decision last Friday. Subban, with just 3 saves, won the game).
Lagace was supposed to be out tonight with an injury that has not been disclosed. However, he's backing up Subban as I write this.
Ferguson lost his only game against the Oilers, seeing just 9:14 of playing time on November 14th. It's unknown when Fleury and Dansk will return. If Vegas is to continue to impress and make the playoffs in their first year (What a story that would be!), they'll need Fleury's experience. Dansk looked like the real deal, although Subban has carried the load well. If nothing else, three of the four inexperienced goaltenders are proving they can play in the National Hockey League. Several teams are looking for goaltenders, and perhaps if the injuries continue the Knights might try to acquire Andrew Hammond from Colorado.
23 games in, 61 to go for this franchise in 2017/18. So far, Las Vegas has been the "Feel Good" story of the year. Whether or not they can sustain this remains to be seen. Goaltending is as important to hockey as pitching is to baseball. Looking at Vegas, they've got 4 pretty good starters, kind of like a pitching staff. It's working.
So far.
"Official Site of the National Hockey League” | NHL.com. National Hockey League. Web. 30 Nov. 2017. <https://www.nhl.com>
NHL.com. “Rotoworld - Fantasy Baseball, Basketball, Football, Baseball and Hockey. Draft Guide, News, Projections, Cheatsheets, Depth Charts And More.” Team News - Rotoworld.Com. Web NBC Sports, 30 Nov. 2017, <www.rotoworld.com/teams/nhl/vgk/vegas-golden-knights>
Sports Reference LLC. Hockey-Reference.com - Hockey Statistics and History. Web. http://www.hockey-reference.com/. Web. 30 Nov. 2017.
Vegas is in 1st place in the Pacific Division. 4 points behind St. Louis for first in the Western Conference with 2 games in hand. This is all really happening!
So what's been happening in goal?
Injuries.
Not that it matters. The team has found a way to win. Somehow, the five of net guardians have provided steady goaltending. Although, the 19-year-old Dylan Ferguson has played in just one game. Care to bet that he'll appear again? Why not?
The team started the season with veteran goalie Marc Andre-Fleury. So far in his NHL career, which began way back in 2003/04 with Pittsburgh, he's got 3 Stanley Cups, including a huge role in the Pens more recent win, last season. But after posting some impressive numbers in his first 3 starts (Winning then all), Fleury was injured in a loss to Detroit on October 13. So it was Malcolm Subban, with all of just two 31-minute NHL games over the last two seasons, in between the pipes 2 nights later.
But Subban, the younger brother of the Nashville Predators' star defenceman, won the game 3-1. It was his first NHL win. It would not be his last. He beat Buffalo 5-4 in the Knights' next game, then played, but was pulled against the St. Louis Blues on October 21st. Not to worry, Oscar Dansk came in to play, and ended up the winning goalie in OT.
Dansk has since posted some amazing numbers. He's 3-0 with a GAA of just 1.78. But at the end of the month, he was placed on the IR with an injury to his lower body. He had recorded the team's very first shutout when Oscar beat the Avs' 7-0 on the 27th.
Maxim Lagace took over for Dansk in a game against the New York Islanders on the 30th, but took the loss, allowing 4 goals in relief. Lagace lost to New York Rangers and Boston, but found his groove, going 5-2-1 since. But his S% suggest the team is playing well in front of him. It's below .900 (.887 in his 9 games, having a no-decision last Friday. Subban, with just 3 saves, won the game).
Lagace was supposed to be out tonight with an injury that has not been disclosed. However, he's backing up Subban as I write this.
Ferguson lost his only game against the Oilers, seeing just 9:14 of playing time on November 14th. It's unknown when Fleury and Dansk will return. If Vegas is to continue to impress and make the playoffs in their first year (What a story that would be!), they'll need Fleury's experience. Dansk looked like the real deal, although Subban has carried the load well. If nothing else, three of the four inexperienced goaltenders are proving they can play in the National Hockey League. Several teams are looking for goaltenders, and perhaps if the injuries continue the Knights might try to acquire Andrew Hammond from Colorado.
23 games in, 61 to go for this franchise in 2017/18. So far, Las Vegas has been the "Feel Good" story of the year. Whether or not they can sustain this remains to be seen. Goaltending is as important to hockey as pitching is to baseball. Looking at Vegas, they've got 4 pretty good starters, kind of like a pitching staff. It's working.
So far.
References
"Official Site of the National Hockey League” | NHL.com. National Hockey League. Web. 30 Nov. 2017. <https://www.nhl.com>
NHL.com. “Rotoworld - Fantasy Baseball, Basketball, Football, Baseball and Hockey. Draft Guide, News, Projections, Cheatsheets, Depth Charts And More.” Team News - Rotoworld.Com. Web NBC Sports, 30 Nov. 2017, <www.rotoworld.com/teams/nhl/vgk/vegas-golden-knights>
Sports Reference LLC. Hockey-Reference.com - Hockey Statistics and History. Web. http://www.hockey-reference.com/. Web. 30 Nov. 2017.
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