Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (7) skates against the Colorado Avalanche during the third period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.
Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022 | 2 a.m.
There’s plenty of praise to go around for the best start in Vegas Golden Knights’ franchise history. Jack Eichel is on pace to have a career year and leads the team in points; goalies Logan Thompson and Adin Hill have gone from a question mark to a strength in solidifying themselves as the tandem going forward.
The Vegas defensemen might not be the headliners of a run that saw the team win 15 of its first 20 games to forge a lead atop the Western Conference standings, but they deserve a large share of the credit themselves. The blue line has been the strongest unit on the team the past few seasons, especially after the additions of veterans Alex Pietrangelo and Alex Martinez, but it’s been even better under first-year coach Bruce Cassidy.
Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy, center, watches as the Golden Knights play the Chicago Blackhawks in an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022.
A quick look at the numbers shows that each defenseman has been benefiting in his own way from Cassidy’s system.
As of November 27, the Golden Knights sat tied for sixth in the league in collective goals-against average at 2.65. That standing is partially a byproduct of Cassidy’s goalie-friendly defensive structure, but it’s also a testament to the defensemen playing patiently in their zone.
Vegas has put an emphasis on keeping the opposition to the outside and preventing dangerous chances in the slot and close to the net. Cassidy has asked the defensemen to dial down their aggressiveness in the neutral and offensive zones as compared with former coach Pete DeBoer.
The Golden Knights have caught on to the scheme faster than most expected coming into the year, even though Cassidy says it’s not yet perfected.
“We’re still a ways away,” Cassidy said. “I think the last stretch of games we’ve gotten a little farther away from where we were at the start, for whatever reason. … We’ll keep working on it.”
Let’s take a look at the individual numbers and assess how each defenseman is performing under Cassidy on both ends of the ice. All statistics are current through November 27.
Alex Pietrangelo: 21 points (three goals, 18 assists), 54 blocks
Pietrangelo was Vegas’ workhorse last year, and he’s kept that reputation up so far this season if not added to it. He’s off to the best statistical mark of his career and is on pace to smash his career-high of 54 points back in 2018.
He has two games of at least three points despite probably not having as many goals as he’d like.
But that’s been by design. Cassidy has asked Pietrangelo not to rush in the neutral zone and instead let the action come to him so he can make the right read accordingly.
The scoring chances will come, much like they did November 17 when he had a goal on a power-play against Arizona. Whether his numbers can stay consistent remains to be seen, but Pietrangelo is playing like a top-5 defenseman in the NHL so far.
Shea Theodore: 17 points (three goals, 14 assists)
Another defenseman off to a great offensive start, Theodore is on pace to surpass last year’s career-high point total of 52.
Theodore’s been more of a mixed bag when one considers his overall performance, though. Defensively, he hasn’t been great. He has more giveaways than takeaways, and six of the former have come in the defensive zone.
For all his offensive success, Theodore also has only two power-play points so far.
That can be attributed to him playing on the second power-play unit. Cassidy has never shied away from skewing the ice time in favor of his first unit, so Theodore has been working with limited opportunities.
Brayden McNabb: Six points, 51 blocked shots
McNabb has maintained the role he’s held with the Golden Knights ever since their inaugural season as a reliable presence in his own zone who does his best to cover up Theodore’s defensive deficiencies.
McNabb’s 51 blocked shots are tied for sixth-most in the league.
There’s not much to complain about McNabb’s game. He’s never aggressive when trying to finish his check. He’s not a scorer but will chip in every once in a while.
McNabb has remained one of the surest quantities on the Golden Knights’ roster.
Zach Whitecloud and Nicolas Hague: Five points each
Ottawa Senators coach D.J. Smith called Hague and Whitecloud the best third pair in the league, and that’s no stretch.
The Hague-Whitecloud pairing is 18th in the league in lowest expected goals per 60 minutes (minimum 200 minutes together), according to hockey analytics website MoneyPuck.
At press time, Hague and Whitecloud were allowing 2.35 expected goals per 60 minutes in 22 games together. That puts them ahead of big-name combos like the New York Rangers’ Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren and Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen and Colin Miller.
It’s easy to see why opposing teams are taking notice.
Alec Martinez: Two points, 99 blocked shots
Martinez leads the league in blocked shots and the next player behind him, Montreal’s David Savard, has only 65.
Martinez’s offensive duties have gone down under Cassidy, as he’s no longer on the power play and being asked not to take many chances. But he’s not complaining; it’s a role that suits him as a veteran who just wants to add to his winning legacy after already being a part of two Stanley Cup championship teams.
Some have said Cassidy’s system isn’t suited for shot blockers, but Martinez is changing that narrative. Cassidy may have just been lacking the player who was willing to repeatedly get in front of pucks for the betterment of the team during his six seasons with the Boston Bruins.
Martinez might have a shot at the NHL record for blocked shots in a season, held by Kris Russell for the 283 he turned away in the 2014-15 for the Calgary Flames.
This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.
