Doyorfeyev, Golden Knights remind the West they are a threat
The Western Conference is rife with contenders who will feel they have a legitimate chance at a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals. A dramatic win away in Minnesota reminded everyone that the Vegas Golden Knights are very much in the fold with five games to go. On Tuesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff Live, hosts Frank Seravalli and Mike McKenna discussed the validity of Vegas’s championship aspirations.
Frank Seravalli: Let’s start with the Vegas Golden Knight. Pavel Dorofeyev- where did this guy come from? 7 goals in his last 10 games, and he plays hero for the Vegas Golden Knights in Minnesota on Monday. They get two goals from him and a shootout tally in the last 40 seconds to stun the Wild. I’ve gone through the process of trying to rank in order the balance of power in the West, and I have been saying for a while that it’s a coinflip, but over the past several weeks I have had the Golden Knights ranked sixth out of six among the West’s legitimate contenders. Is there a chance I am overlooking them?
Mike McKenna: Yeah, I think so, because they just keep winning. They find ways, and so much of that for the Golden Knights is how they start games, Frank. When they score the first goal they’re 35-5-2, and if they’re leading after the first period they’re 29-4. A lot of the wins they’ve picked up lately have been without Shea Theodore in the lineup; they were missing Reilly Smith until last night when he scored the shootout winner and looked great.
What impresses me about Vegas is that they can get out to leads and sustain, but they can also come from behind. Even though the advanced numbers don’t always favor the Golden Knights, they have the second most wins in the NHL when trailing after the second period. They weren’t even the better team in the second or third period and when they beat the Wild last night but they found a way.
They are plucky, and Bruce Cassidy has done an excellent job of putting a system in place that they can play to, and now they have young players like Dorofeyev coming in. This is what Vegas needed.
Dorofeyev is a homegrown player, he’s a 5th-round draft pick. Last season in the AHL he had 27 goals. That is a big number for a 21-year-old. He needs to play with good players; he’s been with Karlsson and Smith and he’s responded.
This is the first homegrown forward that has been a scorer for Vegas. That’s good for the future. Dorofeyev has 7 goals in his last 10 games and he’s making a big difference for them.
Frank Seravalli: I don’t think he is going anywhere in Bruce Cassidy’s lineup anytime soon. When you look at the rest of this team, could Jack Eichel get a shot in the arm from his first taste of the Stanley Cup Playoffs? I’m just wondering who else is going to step up for this team when it matters most given some of the pieces that they are missing.
Mike McKenna: Look at the backend. Alex Pietrangelo has been the lynchpin of the Vegas Golden Knights this year and I think he’s bringing people along. The focus isn’t on Jack Eichel anymore. It’s not just him, it’s been the entire lineup. Another key for that team is how William Karlsson plays. When he’s on his game taking care of business defensively, his team plays better offensively as well.
You can watch the entire episode here…