How has Vegas done it?

[The List Of Jericho]

Though they were obviously able to acquire some decent talent in the expansion draft because many teams were in a precarious position, most observers thought they did rather mediocre considering what they could have gotten. Their big UFA signing was a complete bust but yet here they are almost a lock for the playoff unless they skid massively. Haven't watched them a ton, so what gives?

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[Yatzhee]

Just what you mentioned, the ability to poach other teams talent, that is what gives.
Vegas plays a complete team game. And the personnel they have bought in to it, lock, stock and barrel.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Cheating.

 

[Frosty415]

Shipachyov was the anchor.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

By taking advantage of Florida's stupidity

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

Also Gallant's system is fantastic

 

[WingsMJN2965]

Scored more goals than the other team.

 

[Sticksandsun]

2 words: Gerard Gallant

 

[Super Hans]

2 words: Gerard Gallant

If they keep this up, he needs to drop the Gerard and just go by Gallant a la Bono, Prince, Fabio, Sinbad, etc.

 

[Mikeshane]

Depth - 4 lines with some skill that can skate and play the game at a high pace.
Consistency - Gallant has got them playing hard for most of the game most of the time, they haven't had a lot of big lulls.

 

[Lunatik]

Emotion. I am a firm believer that the events of October 1st gave the team something important to rally around.

 

[The List Of Jericho]

Emotion. I am a firm believer that the events of October 1st gave the team something important to rally around.

That's an interesting theory, should be fascinating to see how the next expansion team does under the same rules

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

By taking advantage of Forida's stupidity

Yeah getting Marchesseault and co. was insane for them. Gallant is a great coach, they got a fantatic #1 goalie and Neal and are probably the best starting roster expansion team ever. They are a very solid team, picked them to be a playoff team and would love them to prove me right.

Also, best Twitter account outside Dallas Stars.

 

[StrictlyCommercial]

Emotion. I am a firm believer that the events of October 1st gave the team something important to rally around.

Their home vs. Road record bears that theory a fairly solid basis.

 

[Spotty 2 Hotty]

I think it's a matter of having a coach like Gallant in place along with the right mix of players who aren't great at one thing in particular, but decent or good at a bit of everything. Gallant was who I was hoping Dallas would pick up as coach when Ruff was let go.

 

[Boud]

Their home vs. Road record bears that theory a fairly solid basis.

Last change is more telling IMO considering their goaltending situation the fact that they get last change at home is critical. Whenever a team can get a matchup they want against them it's much easier hence their weaker road record.

Speed is the real key to their team though and they work extremely hard.

 

[HanSolo]

I think every answer here is more or less correct.

 

[voxel]

Pacific division is trash and they are a decent team with depth everywhere and good goaltending (when not injured).

 

[Mickey Marner]

• They're not THAT bad
• Easy schedule
• Good coaching
• They play their home games in Las Vegas

 

[johnnybbadd]

I know that Vegas had a more favourable expansion draft than other teams in the past. But they still were getting the 9th or 10th best player from every team.

 

[Bronson]

GMGM is a pretty good GM

 

[Field of Dreams]

Maybe filling a roster out full of guys who play a defensively responsible north south game in a league full of defensively challenged east west forwards is a valid strategy.

 

[Lunatik]

That's an interesting theory, should be fascinating to see how the next expansion team does under the same rules

I've believed this for a while just based on the way the team has rallied around the city. I'm sure there are other factors too, like players trying to show up their formers teams, guys getting chances they never had before, good coaching.... etc.

But when I look at a roster and 10 of their top 12 scorers are on pace for career highs (most by a significant number) and to me that is something more than just coaching and opportunity. You have a team rallying behind something important to them, it's like how Anderson had the run of his life while his wife was fighting cancer. I think it is something you see quite often in sport too, just never this dramatic because it never involves an expansion team. Houston won the World Series this year after it's city was destroyed by a Hurricane. The Red Sox won the World Series the year of the marathon bombings. The Yankees went to game 7 of the World Series following 9/11. And that is just off the top of my head without even doing any research. I am sure in many cities with tragedies you will see sports teams rise to the occasion because they want to give the people something to be proud of in a tough time. Good teams become great and bad teams become good.

 

[Yorkshire Leaf]

They are playing as a team and playing for each other, no real “superstars”/“elite”/“generational” players to disrupt the team ethic.

It really highlights how stupid HF’s obsession with comparing individual players is, I’m sure some people would prefer to have players who were perceived to be better than their peers but a terrible team. This is fed by the amount of individual award (too many in my opinion) made at the end of the season.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Emotion. I am a firm believer that the events of October 1st gave the team something important to rally around.

Completely agree, days after it happened I was thinking about how emotional the home opener was going to be. Vegas just went through one of the most horrific events our country's ever seen and now they finally have their first major professional sports team. Something unifying the city to rally around, watching that pre-game ceremony honoring the victims & first responders and seeing them come out of the gate flying to score 4 goals in the first 10 mins of their home opener, it was very apparent that emotion played a major role