Golden Knights Have No Answers On Why They Keep Losing At Home

LAS VEGAS— The Vegas Golden Knights continue to lose games at T-Mobile Arena and now have a .500 record at the Fortress at 8-8. They once again lost at home 5-2 to the New York Islanders on Saturday, putting their home record on Saturdays at 0-4. Members of the team have repeatedly said that if they had answers as to why this would likely have been fixed already.

"We would have flipped it around a while ago (if we knew how to fix it). It seems like we're sliding right now at home. We're winning a game, losing a game, winning a game, and losing a game. So we just have to do better and make sure that this is a hard place to play. Right now, it's not," said Reilly Smith, who scored two powerplay goals in the loss.

What's strange is that the Golden Knights are 14-2-1 on the road, making them the best team in the league in this category. They seem to play a different brand of hockey when on road trips with more urgency and punch.

"We're great on the road but just haven't clicked at home. I remember seeing something that we had the lead for a majority of games on the road, and that helps. But for us, you know, our crowd deserves a winning team here at home. It's the best place to play in the league. Other teams should not want to come here and play against us," said Keegan Kolesar after the loss.

Scoring seems to be the biggest issue at home, as the team has just nine goals in their last six home games. Only four of them have come at even strength. They put up 38 shots against both Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin in Saturday's loss.

The Golden Knights have also started many road games with leads but allowed the first goal at home.

"On the road, we have got the lead almost all the time. And that's a difference right there. You're playing a different game, and the team starts pressing. They're at home, and all of a sudden, you extend the lead. Our game management is better on the road," said head coach Bruce Cassidy.

Based on their play at home, the upcoming schedule for the Golden Knights will be a challenge for them as 11 of their next 14 games are at home

 "There is no magic or button that we can push, or we would have pushed it already. We have got to focus up because we can do it on the road. Let's dial it in and finish at home before Christmas," said Logan Thompson.

Perhaps it's superstitions, psychological, or even just the hockey gods playing tricks on the team. Maybe the Golden Knights should wear their white road jerseys at home? One thing is for sure, Cassidy is sick of losing at home.

"We're gonna keep pounding away, and at some point, I hope guys are sick of frickin losing it in this building and play the right way as we did for the last 40 minutes," said Cassidy.

The Golden Knight's next game will be at home on Monday against the Buffalo Sabres.