The Vegas Golden Knights have managed two goals or fewer in each of their six losses since the Olympic break, posting a 2.38 goals-per-game average—the fifth-worst mark in the NHL since February 25.
Standing at 29-22-14, the Knights have scored 19 goals across their 2-6 skid and look to rebound Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins at T-Mobile Arena. Among those goals, just one came from a defenseman: Noah Hanifin netted it Sunday versus the Edmonton Oilers.
Since January 1, the blue line has contributed only six goals total—three from Shea Theodore, one from Hanifin, one from Rasmus Andersson over 16 games, and one from ex-Knight Zach Whitecloud.
Coach Demands Balanced Attack
Head coach Bruce Cassidy stresses the need for contributions from every skater. “We really need to get offense from all five guys on the ice now,” Cassidy said. “We got some offensive guys on the back end that could give us more with their shots and getting through and getting rebounds and tips, because that seems to be the game a little bit this time of year.”
Cassidy highlighted deficiencies in Tuesday’s 2-1 road loss to the Dallas Stars, citing minimal net-front presence and “not enough action from the low-to-highs.” He seeks gritty goals through increased defenseman involvement rather than volume shots alone.
Offense must come roster-wide. Post-break, only Pavel Dorofeyev and Mitch Marner exceed five points, combining for six of the Knights’ 19 goals.
Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon remains optimistic: “We just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing. The last couple of games, offensively, I thought we were the better team… We’ve been creating a lot of chances.”
Penguins Present Tough Test
The Penguins (32-17-15) have dropped four of five since blanking the Knights 5-0 at home on March 1. Captain Sidney Crosby misses time with a lower-body injury from Olympic play but joined Tuesday’s morning skate in Carolina, hinting at a possible return.
Center Evgeni Malkin sits out the fourth of five games under suspension for slashing Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
Pittsburgh still grabs points in three straight outings, fueled by third-period comebacks versus Boston and Carolina. They fell 5-4 in a shootout to the Hurricanes on Tuesday, proving resilient against top competition.
Game Details
Who: Penguins at Golden Knights
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: T-Mobile Arena
TV: KMCC-34
Radio: KFLG 94.7 FM/KKGK 1340 AM
