The Knights Aren’t Looking So Golden

Puckstop40

Registered User
Aug 23, 2009
8,804
6,680
Las Vegas, NV
Crapping the bed the very next year only proves that theory though, right? See, Edmonton in 07, Carolina in 2009, Colorado in 2015, Calgary in 2016, Ottawa last year etc

The team played very well last year though was my argument. The people who know hockey in this city and on the Knights forum, no one is really expecting to replicate the season we just had. Of course we were going to regress because the only we could have done better is win the Cup. I totally understand your point though in that teams have recently struggled following a good season and I hope we don’t follow that trend. It just drives me crazy when people say it was luck or the bullshit that the refs were the reason we succeeded.
 

Chips

Registered User
Aug 19, 2015
8,338
7,070
They’re not a bad team at all, but they were definelty playing extra confident, and a little lucky. This team went from playing great to collapsing in the playoffs (and no, it wasn’t just Fluery.... he’s arguably the biggest reason they even made the finals... the whole team was suspect). Some players overperformed for sure.

In particular it will be interesting to see how that D group builds on the previous year. Schmidt is legit, some legit guys, some will be worse than lag season


Since I don’t know what the Pacific as a whole is supposed to look like this season, I’ll only go as narrow to predict bottom 4-8th best team in the West making the playoffs (without the leapfrogging)
 
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Blitzkrug

Registered User
Sep 17, 2013
25,785
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Winnipeg
Eh. They're missing 2/3rds of their 2nd line and a top pairing d-man. Not to mention the schedule hasn't been too kind to them thus far.

I'll wait for game 45 to make a call instead of game 5. If they can stay within 500 until they get healthy i think they'll be totally fine.
 

JLo217

Registered User
Jul 22, 2009
17,368
5,583
Reno, NV
The team played very well last year though was my argument. The people who know hockey in this city and on the Knights forum, no one is really expecting to replicate the season we just had. Of course we were going to regress because the only we could have done better is win the Cup. I totally understand your point though in that teams have recently struggled following a good season and I hope we don’t follow that trend. It just drives me crazy when people say it was luck or the bull**** that the refs were the reason we succeeded.
They got some help.

The way it seems to me is they had 2 years to scout every team and make a game plan, pick the players for it, and execute a game plan with all that knowledge on other teams.

Now they have new guys, the league has seen and solved Vegas, and now Vegas doesn’t have the same advantage of planning ahead and have to adjust on the fly within the same parameters as other teams. The league set them up for success in year 1.

I think reality has set in though. I watched a few games and I think most games it seemed like they got more of the benefit of the doubt. Now they aren’t.
 

RangerDoggo

The Devils have a culture of failure
Feb 3, 2016
3,166
2,592
Brooklyn via NJ, like the Nets
They’ve looked terrible in the first five games and not just because of regression. The defense is awful and the offense is doing that “high possession, low shot quality” thing that the Canes did under Bill Peters. Maybe things get better when some of their players get back, but not if they keep playing like this.
 
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Boats Ahoes

Registered User
Apr 28, 2011
1,519
867
October 2017: "No way Vegas can keep this up"
November 2017: "No way Vegas can keep this up"
December 2017: "No way Vegas can keep this up"
January 2018: "No way Vegas can keep this up"
February 2018: "No way Vegas can keep this up"
March 2018: "No way Vegas can keep this up"
April 2018: "No way Vegas can keep this up"
May 2018: "No way Vegas can keep this up"
June 2018: "No way Vegas can keep this up"

October 2018: "I knew it!"
 

Pens x

Registered User
Oct 8, 2016
16,223
8,020
Fleury has regressed back to his old self.

The team definitely had a chip on their shoulder last year after their former teams didn’t protect them in the expansion draft. Now it’s been over a year and I imagine the players don’t care as much as they did last year playing against their former team.
 
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LAKings88

First round fodder
Dec 4, 2006
13,821
6,038
here or there
With success (and some /not all/ really annoying fans) comes bitterness.

I remember when non-kings fans actually liked an upstart Kings team.

Vegas will be in the thick of it come March and April.

So much parity in the league tho, can’t afford any significant slumps throughout the season.
 

Quid Pro Clowe

Registered User
Dec 28, 2008
52,301
9,174
530
They're getting the effort from their opponents of a team that just made the finals instead of a team that just entered the league.

I don't think they're this bad, nor do I think they'll replicate last season, but expectations are different for them and they have a reputation now.
 
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